Birth From Bytes
by EnderLance
Summary: 10,000 players are brought and forced into the death game known as 'Sword Art Online'. However, amongst the human players, an AI fights against his own creator's game world. Adam, against everything he believed, would soon find himself being in a war even more outrageous than the game itself; war of love! (Harem)
1. Character Sheets

Adam's Inventory / Powers

Stories Included

Sword Art Online x Legend of Zelda

Identity

Name: 'Adam, Eden, Eve'

Title: Black Swordsman, First AI

Inventory

Elucidator

One of Adam's blades, it is a pitch black sword with trims of grey. It has a black hilt connected to a hand guard that drops down on the right side. A small cross is emblazoned on the flat of the blade, just beneath the tip.

Dark Repulser

One of Adam's blades, it is an aqua-coloured blade. Its grip is a darker colour than the rest of the blade and is completely straight. It leads up to a cross-guard that is exactly perpendicular to the grip and is designed to look like a pair of conjoined dagger blades. At the centre of the guard is a large aquamarine gem.

Outfit

Midnight

Adam's favourite outfit consists of a black leather coat which was tailored from black dragon leather, dark leather pants, greaves and gloves.

Link: wiki/Blackwyrm_Coat?file=Blackwyrm_

Powers

AI Commands

Gain immunity to damage.

Gain control over every element.

Access a powerful regeneration factor.

Materialise and wield any desired weapon.

See glimpses of the future.

Libra; Scan his targets or the environment.

Fairies

Tatl

The older of the Fairy twins. Whilst he may be slightly timid, he has assisted in strategising their battles and the like, effectively keeping them alive, much to Adam's proudness. Likes sleeping in the dark, much to his sister's chagrin.

Tael

The younger of the Fairy twins. Has proven to be an expert navigator, plus the knowledge of craftsmanship. Can be quite rude and cold towards new people. Likes sleeping with bright lights, something her brother dislikes.

* * *

A/N: None of the following above belongs to me. Each and every one of said inventory and characters belong to their own respective companies. I merely own the OC. A shout-out to my good friend CZB for making the painting! He drew and painted the sword, so thank you very much!


	2. Chapter 1

"Don't let me down!" - Speech

'You look familiar…' - Thoughts

" _The war was over."_ \- Flashback

*Whoosh!* *Tzzz!* - Sound effects

" **This isn't good!"** \- Tatl / Tael Speech

' **How in the world?'** \- Tatl / Tael Thoughts

* * *

'`Chapter 1: Sonata of the Maiden and Machine'`

 _Of all the accounts that there have ever been for the First AI, the story that accounted his story beside his lover, Asuna, was one that came to everyone's minds first before everything else._

 _She wasn't his first, but she was the one he chose to go to the moment they separated. Out of everything that he thought of, she was the first to come. In all his life, of all the choices he made, of the difficulties he had to carry out, it was to that unwavering love he clutched the tightest…_

 _But then, was that truly strange? It was to protect that love that he walked down their path together._

* * *

"WHAT?!"

One single word; what. That was what the crowd roared out, having to know that in here, this world of gaming, it was a game of life and death.

Sword Art Online. Just recently, the game had been sent out to be sold, with all of its 500 million copies being finished faster than a crowd at a buffet. It was maddening! All copies were sold out in just FIVE days, and it only served as information that everyone had been dying to get their hands on it.

But to cut to the chase, it isn't difficult to understand why. The game, all on its own, had been the first of its kind; VRMMO, short for 'Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online'.

Now, when everyone had finally dived into the game world, they were more than excited to try out the game's magics. And trust me, they were blown away!

The sheer beauty of the graphics of the world—if it could be called graphics, that is—was unique, much better than the polluted reality they live in. The waters glisten like gems, and the clouds were so fluffy. So many of them adorned the endless sea of the sky, and the sun and moon were the complementary nature of each other.

But, unlike the pretty fairy tales which parents would sing to their children each night, this was anything but that. Rather, behind this beautiful façade of a world—

It was a literal hell.

"T-This can't be happening…" A certain maroon haired man whispered to himself, unconsciously taking a few steps back as he tried to click the words he heard in himself.

"And as such, I hope that you will focus on getting out of the game. I wish you," and no matter how many times he'd say it, it wouldn't do anything in curing the throbbing fear in everyone's hearts. "The best of luck."

* * *

The Next Day—Beginning Town

"So," the merchant began, eyes narrowed at his first customer of the day. "What do you think? This sword is pretty high quality. I doubt you'd find the same anywhere else."

"Hmm…" Scanning the blade, with his eyes squinted, he could make out tiny cracks adorning the iron weapon. "Nope. Definitely cheap."

"C-Cheap?! Now, here me when I say this, this sword is as good as a manganite one!" The merchant stuttered, trying to reason with his customer, fully intent on earning his 'fair' pay. "If you think you can just find—"

"I said no, and I'm not buying it. Looks like it'll break after ten strikes. Good day," Having to interrupt the shopkeeper and bid him farewell, the lad turned heels to leave the shop, and it took him some time to readjust to the brightness of the area, curtesy of the darkly-lit room.

The lad, having his sights returned to him, took a turn to the right, following the flow of the crowd. The NPC's went on with their daily lives, ignoring the troubles of the world, and so on. The lad stopped in front of a polished window at his right, wanting to take a look at himself.

What was reflected back was a handsome—he denied it, furiously—and lean, built to perfection. He wasn't too skinny, nor too muscly, though he of course had the muscles to define himself. His black, dusty hair swayed with the wind, only adding to his perfect self.

He was currently dressed in simple armour, with robes draped over his body and down to his legs, which were covered behind regular black pants. His boots ran all the way just above his ankles, and the fingerless gloves he wore were shinily brown.

'Huh, I guess the inventory's auto-armouring mechanism pretty useful,' the lad thought to himself, and—with a tiny grin—he made his way back with the crowd, following the single motion and hoping not to run into any such trouble.

Though, of course, trouble always lurked around the corners.

"H-Help!" Ears perked up at the sounds of a woman's shoutings, the lad turned to the source of the voice. What surprised, and slightly aggravated, him was the presence of an armed bandit. He brandished his sword towards the crowd, trying to keep a safe distance from them, whilst his right hands placed an ironclad grip on the collar of a woman.

"Go on, try and save this lil' missy! I dare ya'!" The bandit roared at the crowd, a sadistic smirk growing on his face as the people in the crowd merely broke into murmurs between each of them. It was obvious that everyone were nervous, and it wouldn't be an overstatement to say that they were terrified.

'Damn… Seriously though, some players just want to play baddie,' The lad thought to himself, mind already mapping out any tactics that he could put to good use.

*Ting!*

An imaginary lightbulb flashed over his head, and his plans were ready. With a determined grin, he made his way through the crowd, before climbing one of the buildings with the help of bricks that slightly popped out of its walls.

Climbing was always one of his favourites. It was probably even more challenging than hiking, he thought, for it required every bit of focus. Each time he had to climb, he had to put his faith in his feet to grip onto the right pedestal, and he had succeeded ever since his ninth attempt.

Finally reaching the top, he rose to the top of the roof, overlooking the entire square, where this current predicament was taking place. Examining the area, his eyes finally landed on the items that he was looking for; tranquilliser needles.

"Alright then. I have to aim this right…" He muttered to himself as he gently, yet firmly, took one of the needles. It was just as he said; he had to aim properly. If the needle went out of its trajectory, there would be the risk that the needle might hit the woman instead, and he was so hoping that he could avoid that.

"Come on! I dare y'all, step right up and try to stop me, chickens!" Had he even paid attention to the rooftop, the bandit would've noticed the presence of a lad aiming a certain weapon at him.

'Steady…" With his left hand thrusted out and his right hand—the one holding the needle—placed at his right cheek, he narrowed his eyes to focus on his target. Breath hitched in his throat, he finally exhaled after a while. 'Now!'

"Hreah!"

*Whoo!*

With a roar of determination, the lad finally sent his needle flying, and the speed of the item was scarily blinding. One could only hope that—

*Ting!*

"Gah..!" Oh, never mind. Looks like the target's hit.

*Clang!*

Already becoming sloshy and losing consciousness, he didn't even notice his weapon dropping to the cobble road, nor the fact that he had lost his grip over the woman, who immediately ran to the crowd.

"I-I'll geeeet youuuu…" Unable to form his words properly, his feet swivelled him from side to side, before—

*Thud!*

He finally made contact with the road, headfirst no less. It would no doubt be painful, the crowd thought, but their hearts calmed down and they had already broke into cheers. It seemed that they managed to avoid such trouble. It was because of their cheering, that they failed to notice the needle that had dug itself into the rogue player's calf.

"Well then! With that over, I should be leaving. I've got other things to do," the lad happily commented to himself, before dropping himself from the roof and avoiding the attention of the crowd.

"…" And yet, nothing ever goes his way, of course.

* * *

Two Days Later—Evening

It was already dark, and he hadn't even had lunch yet. He knew, of course, that he should have. It costed him dearly in the end, for you see—

'I'm so hungry…' Was the only thought that kept swimming through his head. It was becoming increasingly difficult to hold back his drool every time he passed a restaurant, or every time he'd pass a couple of people with food in their hands.

Sighing in defeat, he decided to let himself to drop onto a nearby stone bench, too hungry to acknowledge the presence of the hooded figure beside him.

'Darn it… I can't believe I didn't accept that toast from that kid earlier…' It was just how he is; he couldn't take something from someone just because he did that person a favour. He regretted it now, but he'd stick to that sort of code from now, and till' the end. 'I wonder… Maybe I could do a job around here for a slice of bread. Even one would be enough..!'

"Excuse me," blinking from his thoughts, he turned to his side, finally noticing the figure. He could very well tell that this person was a 'she', but the hood seemed unnecessary, in his opinion. "Do you require assistance?"

"Eh? M-Me?" Pointing his index finger at himself, he earned a nod from the figure as a response. "N-No! I don't need anything! Really, I—"

*Rrrrr!*

Interrupting the quietness of this conversation, was the growling of a certain beast… And by beast, I mean the lad's stomach.

It took him a while to notice what just happened, and even his palms couldn't cover up his growing blush. The figure tilted her head at him, uncaring of the fact that he had just embarrassed himself.

Without wasting a moment, she popped open her HUD. Poking into her inventory, it took the lad a few moments to notice what she was doing, until all of a sudden, a bread materialised into her hand.

"Here," she held out her hand which held the bread towards the lad.

"T-Thank you…" Utterly defeated, he took it.

Of course, he wouldn't be the only one eating it. She took her own, and the time passed just like that; both silent as they ate their own food.

"Damn, this tastes great!" The lad broke the silence after a while. He looked to his acquaintance with a smile, pointing his left finger excitedly at the insides of the bread. "What is this stuff? It tastes awesome!"

"It's butter," the figure replied. "Don't tell me you didn't notice?"

"A-Ah!" It surprised her, when the lad suddenly flinched at her statement. Letting the bread slightly sink down from him, he could only flash a nervous smile at her. "I, uh… Never really tasted butter before."

"I see…" It confused her; what did he mean by 'he never tasted it'? Of course, he meant what he said, but it still seemed to nag at her for some reason.

Though, of course, she resumed eating after a while. She couldn't just let the chance to eat slip her by, so she allowed herself to return to the half-finished bread.

*Gulp!*

"Ah~! That hit the spot!" Grinning ever so brightly, he finally rose from the bench, turning around to face his acquaintance. "Thanks for the food, mate. Haven't eaten anything for a while now, and you saved my skin. The name's Adam."

"…Asuna," the hooded figure returned the gesture, giving her name to the lad she had just befriended.

"Asuna? Alright, I'll make sure to remember that," he said with a bow, before—

*Ding!* *Dong!*

"Whoa! It's dark already!" Grimacing for a moment, he lit back up when he faced the girl. "Thanks again for the meal. Hope to see you again!"

*Tuk! Tuk! Tuk! Tuk… Tuk…*

And just like that, he ran off, leaving behind his friend to her own devices. She looked to the sky, and immediately she had set her mind on getting home.

* * *

A Month Later

It had been strange, Adam thought. Though multiple players were quickly escalating in levels and equipment, none have been able in mapping out the location of the floor's boss.

Yes, they were still stuck on the first floor.

Which was about to change today, it seemed. Just earlier, he had been approached by a blue haired man named Diavel, offering the chance to partake in the first boss raid. Of course, how could Adam turn down the offer?

And as such, it didn't take much time to get to the town's colosseum after running. Adam was about to take a seat at one of the stairs, only to realise—

"Asuna!" Waving frantically and happily at the hooded figure—who in turn blinked at him—as he half-walked half-ran to her. "How've you been?"

"Good," she replied.

She felt somewhat glad, to know that he still remembered her. Seeing the others, she could tell that they were close to each other. So, she couldn't deny the fact that it felt nice that she had made a friend.

*Kh!* *Kh!* *Kh!*

"Listen up!" Everyone ceased their previous attentions, now focusing their attention at the blue haired man at the centre of the colosseum. "The conference will begin now, everyone!"

"Thank you, everyone, for being here today. My name's Diavel, and I am, informally," he paused to smack his fist against his chest-plate. "A knight!"

"Haha!"

The crowd sitting at the stairs broke into soft laughters, and Adam wasn't an exception. Such joke may have seemed off, but it was enough to lighten the mood.

"Hey, hey! There's no class system in this world, you know?" One of the guys said.

"Pfft! Knight, you say! Ha!" Another of the crowd, a lady this time, spoke up.

"Alright, alright! Just kidding, please calm down!" Diavel said as he waved his hands in a friendly manner. After everyone complied to his request, he cleared his throat to continue speaking. "In any case, I call you here now to tell you that my group has discovered the floor boss at the highest level of this floor!"

"Whoa, no way, / That can't be, / Seriously?" The crowd murmured to each other, wondering as to whether Diavel's words were indeed true or not.

"I don't lie, good people. By defeating the floor boss, we will be able to proceed to the second floor. And then, we can prove to the people that this game can indeed be cleared!" Diavel roared, determination pulsing in him. "We are responsible to carry out that task! Do you not think so, everyone?"

"…" Silent for a while, it didn't take long for them to—

*Ch!* *Ch!* *Ch!*

Break into an applause for the blue haired man. If he was hoping to have at least motivated them, it definitely worked here.

"Haha, I agree with him!" Adam chuckled to himself as he joined the clapping, before taking a moment to face his friend. "What do you think, Asuna?"

"No doubt he is true," the hooded girl replied back, only adding fuel for her friend's determination.

"Alright-y, then!" Diavel addressed to the crowd once more when the clapping died down. "It's time we discuss our battle strategy."

"As such, we shall be splitting ourselves into six groups," at his statement, Adam perked up. "It's without doubt that a strong party will increase the chances of us winning against the floor boss. But of course, we can't just be in one large group. As such, strength in numbers!"

"Huh, groups he said," placing his index finger on his lips, he dipped into his thoughts. 'Would Asuna be alright with joining me? I don't want to disturb her or anything…'

"Adam," said lad snapped out of his thoughts at the voice of his friend.

"Y-Yes?" He wondered what she was about to say.

"You wouldn't mind if we forged a team, would you?" No, no he wouldn't.

"N-No! Oh, thank goodness! I was worried that you'd turn me down, to be honest!" Adam said with a chuckle, before pulling open his own HUD and sending an invitation to her. Seeing Asuna accept his invitation only widened his smile.

"Hang on," everyone turned to the source of the voice, and they saw a large, dark man with a battle-axe clipped to his back walking to the centre of the colosseum. "I'd like a moment to address something. Diavel, may I?"

"Of course, please do," the blue haired man humbly replied.

"Ok then, everyone. My name's Agil. I'd like to ask you all whether or not you have this," Agil said as he raised a brown-covered book for everyone to see.

"Wait, what's that?" Adam had never seen that before, so it was natural that he didn't notice when he accidentally blurted those words out, since he was so focused on that book.

"This is a guidebook. The former beta testers supplied this for everyone. It was available at the items shop for free," Agil explained. "In any case, I hope that all of you grab this book before we leave. It will no doubt be great help in the future. That is all."

With a bow, the large man made his way to take a seat.

"Thank you Agil. Truly, everyone, the guidebook is an essential item that I hope you will pick up before we leave," Diavel said. "In any case, the guidebook has information on the floor boss. Plus, it's in its latest version, so it will no doubt assist you."

'D-Damn, I need to get to the item store soon enough…' Adam thought to himself as he bit down on his thumb, much to his friend's confusion.

"According to the book, the boss is called Illfang, the Kobold Lord. Mobs known as 'Ruin Kobold Sentinels' will be guarding him," he began explaining as he read from his guidebook. "He is armed with an axe and a buckler. When he's down to his last health bar out of all four, he switches to a curved sword called a talwar. He also changes his attack patterns."

Everyone seemed amazed at what they heard. They definitely needed it.

"With that, the conference is over," the blue haired man said as he closed the book. "And lastly, for the loot distribution… The money is automatically distributed, Exp. will go to the party that lands the finishing blow, and the item is 'first come, first served'. We shall be leaving tomorrow morning at ten. Dismissed!"

* * *

December 3rd 2022—First Floor—Labyrinth

It's now early of the Christmas month, and everyone stuck to their words. Everyone showed up for the raid, and they had already prepared themselves. Swords, axes, shields… Ask anything, and one of them will say that they've got it.

And of course, everyone made sure this time that they got the guidebook.

"Alright, we're tasked with taking out the 'Ruin Kobold Sentinels'," Adam reminded himself, his arms folded behind his back as he walked through the forest, just a stone's throw away from the others.

"I know," Asuna responded, walking just beside him.

"So, I'll deflect their poleaxes, so we switch at that moment," he said with much enthusiasm. "Use a sword skill as well!"

"…" she didn't reply back, stopping in her tracks, and soon followed by the lad.

"What?" Her abrupt silence was definitely strange.

"I don't know what this 'switch' is," she admitted, eliciting an 'Eh?' from the lad.

"Hang on, is this the first time you were in a party?" His fears were finally answered when she gave a nod, finally huffing in tire. 'This will take some time…'

* * *

*Tch!*

"Listen up, everyone," Diavel said as he stood at the front, already planted his blade in the earth. "I've just got one thing to say to you all. Today… Let's win, and emerge victorious!"

Nobody gave a clear response. They stayed silent, merely standing at the ready and gripping tightly to whatever weapon they had. Although, if keeping a focused expression counts as one, then that's that.

"Get ready, everyone," Diavel addressed the crowd. "We move… Now!"

*Creak!* *Prrh!* *Boom!*

Pushing the doors open, it didn't take long for the lights to brim to life, accompanied with Illfang already jumping from his throne, and making contact with the ground and resulting in a shockwave.

*Graah!* *Prrh!*

As if the game were responding to his roar, light materialised in front of him, and out emerged his minions. Armed with maces, and adorned in their own iron plates, they stood ever at the ready.

And if anything, they weren't the type to wait, which is further supported by them suddenly rushing to the players.

"Commence attack!" Diavel roared as he brandished his sword towards the enemies.

"Hreaaah!"

Returning the gesture, the players rushed to the enemies, and the battle was on!

* * *

Meanwhile

Looking at the commotion from the corner of the room were two fairies; one black and the other yellow.

" **Ooh, we're in big trouble, brother!"** The yellow fairy whimpered to the black fairy, with the latter nodding in agreement.

" **Let's just wait for the battle to die down. We'll leave then,"** the black fairy said, trying his best to not break down in front of her sister.

And so, with much trepidation and shaky hoping, they waited for the battle to end. It was scary enough to imagine facing off against the boss monster.

That was something they would pray for to never happen.

* * *

"Squad D, E, F! Keep the sentinels off us!" The blue haired man yelled as he swiped his blade across one of the minions.

"Understood!" Adam replied with a shout, before rushing towards one of the minions and dealing a wide cut to the little lizard. "Switch!"

Rushing in on cue, Asuna pulled her sword to her side, before—

*Shin!* *Prrh!*

Thrusting her blade in a fast motion, resulting in the blade glowing in green, towards the sentinel. It dealt what they both expected; the sentinel broke into little pixels.

'Damn! I knew she was good, but I didn't think she'd be this good!' Adam thought with a smile as he let his blade loose on the sentinel near him, effectively killing it. 'If she's that fast until I can't see her blade's tip, I don't even want to imagine her in a race..!'

*Grroo!*

Turning to face the floor boss, he could indeed see that the boss was down to his last health, which had now turned red.

"Wait a minute… That's not a talwar!" Everyone turned to a certain lad, and were confused—and slightly afraid—at his sudden outburst. "That's a nodachi!"

"Be careful, it's got a wider range! Keep your distance!" Adam cried out, before running over to the boss monster.

"O-Oi! What the hell are you doing?!" His squad's leader, Kibaou, roared out.

*Grrraaa!*

"Nuh-uh, loser!" Adam roared as he sidestepped from the attack, barely dodging Illfang's sword swing, before returning the attack. "Hragh!"

*Shin!* *Grroaa!*

With his blade already cutting at the beast, he back-pedalled a good distance away. He was ready to go in again, before his friend arrived beside him.

"I'll help you," she merely spoke.

"Thanks. I'll need it!" Adam chirped, already having his sword readied. "We'll just use our previous tactics. I'll parry, and you go for the blow!"

"Roger," and with that—

*Boom!*

Both Adam and Asuna rushed into the fray once more. Already anticipating the sword swing, Adam powered up his blade to parry Illfang's, switching with Asuna to allow her to strike him. They switched once more, this time with Adam giving a few swings at the beast, before resuming his previous actions.

*Clang!*

"Time to make you push up daisies!" The sound of blade meeting blade resounded throughout the room, with Adam forcing the Kobold Lord to stagger as he pushed his blade forwards. "Switch now!"

*Shing!*

"Hah!" Thrusting her rapier forwards, Asuna dealt a good blow at the beast, before jumping backwards to dodge an incoming attack.

"Nail it in the coffin!" Unbeknownst to the beast, the lad had manoeuvred up above the room, falling downwards and soon enough—

*Shing!* *Graa!*

Cutting at the back of the beast with his iron sword. However, as he thought he would've made it all fine—

*Thud!*

"Gah!" Adam was knocked back a good distance away after having a large tail slammed against his ribs. Though the pain never was there, fear cloaked him as he watched the beast ready to cut at his friend. "Asuna!" And all he could do, was raise his hand towards her.

*Grrroaa!* *Tzzk!* *Prrh!*

"Kh..!" It was much to his joy that the blade never did slice her, but it did rip off the cloak. And the creature that hid herself in it was—

"Holy cow…" Beautiful. Indeed, with the cloak materialising into pixels, the beautiful glittering only helped to emphasise her beauty.

Thankfully, being too distracted by the enemy at the front, Asuna was oblivious to the way his eyes had followed the moderate swell of her chest, or along the delicate curves of her body, the way her orange hair flowed in the short wind.

Just as his eyes quickly glanced to her uppers, so too did he look to her downs. Never had he noticed the breeches that showed off the contours of her ass, nor the way the calves were perfectly formed, and just in the centre of it all, laid the crown of the bunch; the—

'Wait! What the hell?! Get a grip, Adam!' Berating himself for a moment, and shaking his head of his thoughts, he rose to his feet and rushed towards the enemy once more. "Asuna, just a few more hits! We can end this! Come on!"

"Roger!" She yelled back, joining to run beside him.

*Graaa!*

Readying itself once more, it gripped its blade with even more determination, before bringing it in a downwards slash at its targets.

*Shin!*

"Not happening!" Parrying its blade, the black haired lad forced the beast into a stagger. "Switch!"

*Khh!* *Zzzk!* *Grah!*

"Hrah!* Powering her rapier up, she thrusted the blade forwards, dealing a good blow on the Kobold Lord, eliciting a pained roar from the beast.

"Yah!* Slashing his own blade at Illfang, Adam watched as red pixels emerged from the beast's fresh wounds. "Hirgh!*

*Grroaa!*

Waiting for the right moment, Illfang finally swung his blade towards the lad. However, it baffled it, for Adam took no damage—let alone get knocked back—from the damage.

Luckily, to Adam, no one had seemed to notice this. Not even Asuna.

*Khhh!*

"Whatever it takes!" And with a shout of determination—

*Zzzk!* *Groaaah!*

He dragged his blade in an upwards motion at the beast, goring the beast and tearing him apart.

*Graah!*

…

*Prrh!*

With the remaining red dropping to the edge of the health bar, Illfang finally died, turning into pixels and floating off in the sky.

"W-We..!" And it was to everyone's joy, of course, which only made sense when everyone roared at once. "WE DID IT!"

*Pant…*

Tired and physically drained, Adam didn't even mind if people were to berate him, since he was now lying down on the cold floor. His chest rose and dropped, allowing him to catch his breath as the game's 'oxygen' entered and exited him.

"Whee..!" He cheered to himself, a tired smile already present on his face. His eyes were closed, but it seemed strange that his vision felt even darker, so he opened them, only to see two familiar faces. "Agil..? Asuna?"

"Good job, Adam. That was definitely some amazing swordsmanship," Agil complemented the younger lad, much to the latter's embarrassment.

"Ah! I didn't do it alone, you know! Y'all helped, and that counts a lot!" Adam retorted, resulting in a hearty laughter between the three.

"Agreed," the three turned to the source of the voice, and it was none other than the self-proclaimed knight, Diavel. "You have done well, Adam, so congratulations are in order."

"T-Thanks, but still…" He blinked when he saw a HUD screen popped in front of him. He took a look at the bonus item, and it was an item called 'Midnight Coat'. "Yeesh, makes you wonder if bosses carry the bonus items with them, huh?"

"Mmm… Nope, only you it seems," Diavel jested, resulting in a laughter between the four. Well… three. Adam himself pouted at the blue haired man's comment.

And just like that, everyone allowed themselves to enjoy the moment of peace, away from the battling and such. Though, of course, Adam's interest were immediately focused on two 'glowing' beings far off in the distance.

Secretly, he made his way away from the celebrating crowd.

* * *

" **Alright, we're good to go!"** The black fairy told his sister.

" **Do we go now? What if we get seen?"** The white fairy asked, slightly concerned.

" **Yeah right, that's not gonna' happen! I mean, look at them!"** And following her brother's words, she did indeed look at the crowd. They were celebrating, no doubt would they even notice them. **"See? We'll be perfectly—"**

"Cool, talking orbs!" A lad voiced out.

…It was silent for a while, with the fairies slowly grimacing at the fact that they had been found out, and the lad keeping his smile.

And then, everything exploded.

" **AAH!"** The fairies backed into the corner.

"W-Whoa there!" Backing away to give some space, Adam raised his arms defensively before him. "C-Calm down! I'm not your enemy, trust me!"

" **A-And why should we trust you?!"** The white fairy yelled back, but her scared demeanour only betrayed her brave façade.

"Because I'm not even attacking you now!" Adam reasoned with the fairies. "Ok, calm down! Then we'll talk. I won't say or do anything till' then."

True to his word, Adam stood there, no words or actions coming from him. The silence indeed helped in calming down the fairy siblings, for their shaking had died down after a while.

"Ok, good. We're good. Let's see…" Placing his index finger on his lips for a moment, he resumed talking after a snap of his fingers. "Introductions! The name's Adam! You?"

" **T-Tatl…"** The black fairy spoke up almost immediately, eliciting a gasp from her sister.

" **W-What are you doing?!"** She scolded him. **"Why'd you just tell him your name?!"**

" **I can tell that he's a good guy. If he indeed wanted to do something, he would've done it earlier,"** Tatl explained to his sister. **"Come on, just introduce yourself already."**

" **Fine…"** Reluctantly, she faced the lad. **"I'm Tael, human. So, be grateful that I even allowed you the honour of knowing my name!"**

"Of course, I'm honoured," Adam replied with a nod. "In any case, what are you doing here? You definitely aren't a bunch of NPC, I think."

" **Indeed. We're programmed like your lot, alive and able to think. This is a game,"** Tatl replied. **"My sister and I were planning to get to the next town, so we passed by this area. However, we got trapped one day, and were fortunate enough to be able to stay here whilst staying undetected by the floor boss."**

"Hang on! You said you 'stayed' here. How long?" This definitely surprised the lad. They managed to get through how long, under the same roof with the floor boss? 'Damn!'

" **It's only been three days. This is the third,"** Tael jumped in the conversation between her brother and the lad, not wanting to be left out.

"R-Really? Three days? God, that is long! I'm impressed, to be honest!" The fairy siblings looked to each other, and couldn't sense the lad feigning any surprise.

He was honestly blown away at the fact that they survived THREE days with the floor boss!

" **Well, he never noticed us, so of course we're alive!"** The white fairy cried out. **"If he did, then we would've been dead the very first day!"**

"I-I see… Well then, what do you plan to do now?" Adam asked, just noticing that he had been in a crouched position. Feeling his calves aching at the pressure, he dropped into a cross-legged position.

" **To be honest, we just wanted to get to the next town, but we don't know which floor it is…"** Tatl seemed disappointed himself as he forced those words out of his mouth. Probably doesn't want to let his sister down, Adam thought. **"So, do you think you could tell us?"**

Immediately, Adam's mind reeled at the request. What if he complied, giving the location of the next town to the fairy siblings? He'd definitely do them a favour, but there was the risk of them not being able to make it. Such small beings, wishing to get through forests and mountains, and what he feared most…

Monsters.

The mobs around the game were vicious, unmerciful. If anything were to enter their sights, they'd charge at them, no questions asked, with their tusks or blades. It was apparent that the siblings wouldn't be able to handle themselves in a fight or two, so… What could he do…

*Ting!*

"Aha!" Idea finally popping inside his head, Adam was prepared to give his response. "I can do much more! How about you guys come with me?"

" **E-Eh?!"** Tael certainly seemed taken aback at the lad's offer.

" **N-No, we couldn't! We'd be disturbing you!"** Tatl's counterargument didn't help in changing the lad's mind.

"It'll be fine! Think about it, it'll benefit both of us!" At the lad's statement, the fairies looked to each other, before turning to face him once more.

" **I don't see how having two fairies with you can quote unquote 'benefit' you. You'll need to be a bit** **more specific,"** the white fairy requested, seemingly confused with the lad's words.

"Ok, let's see it this way. If you guys followed me, you'd have my protection. I can definitely handle myself in the battlefield. You just saw me and the others earlier, I think," his reasoning sounded rather true. They had indeed watched him battle Illfang alongside the others, and it shocked them to see that they emerged victorious.

" **That does sound beneficial… But that only applies to us. What about you, then?"** The black fairy asked this time.

"I can obviously tell that you guys are smart—No, wait… Intelligent!" At his praise, the fairies lit up. "You guys managed to survive three days here, and I'm not even gonna' ask how. It's definitely a challenge. To stay undetected, and find food and water sources… That requires intense smarts, something that you guys definitely have."

"So, with you around, you can help me by thinking. Plan my tactics, give me ideas… Blah, blah, blah… You get the gist," Adam finally concluded with a smile.

' **Dear God… He's not wrong, everything he said indeed were true…'** Tatl took a moment to think this thing through once more. **'He'd be there to protect us from the monsters, and we could probably assist him in, as he says, 'thinking'.'**

"Well, what do you say? I won't force you, of course. It's not my place to do so," his offer was dreadfully tempting. So much they would be able to accomplish with the assistance of a human!

" **Tatl? You call the shots, and I'll go along,"** Tael's words only steeled her brother's determination.

Finally, he was ready with his response.

" **We'll do it!"** The black fairy roared with enthusiasm.

"Alright!" Thrusting his fist into the air, his grin was indeed very wide, and it took every ounce of his willpower to not burst into a fit of laughter. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Tatl! Tael!"

" **And the same to you! / Whatever you say!"** Both fairy siblings happily replied back.

And with that, both lad and his fairy companions secretly left the dungeon room, careful so as to not attract any attention to themselves.

Despite this, even with they ability to silently open the exits and leave without making a sound, none of his actions even passed Asuna and Agil's eyes.

'Where's Adam going..?' She asked to herself, unable to hide back the dread growing in her heart.

"He'd better come back alive…" Agil muttered to himself, responded only by the girl's fearful look.

* * *

 _And just like that, he disappeared from her life forever, though that was what she feared most._

 _It was because of his absence that Asuna promised herself to become better, so that their paths will cross one day. It was that undying crush towards him—one that she has managed to hide from him since the beginning—that fuelled her determination._

 _And Adam would soon be known to be unreachable, had only he forgotten to look her way. It did happen, however, for each of him holding his hand out acted as her guide from the darkness._


	3. Chapter 2

"Don't let me down!" - Speech

'You look familiar…' - Thoughts

" _The war was over."_ \- Flashback

*Whoosh!* *Tzzz!* - Sound effects

" **This isn't good!"** \- Tatl / Tael Speech

' **How in the world?'** \- Tatl / Tael Thoughts

* * *

'`Chapter 2: The Girl Whose Words Touched His Heart'`

 _The 'Moonlit Black Cats' were a guild that the First Ai joined, only to someday part ways for reasons still unknown to writers nowadays._

 _They were like a family to him, but it was one of their members that truly opened his eyes and heart to love. What it was to be accepted not as a normal lad, but as a lover._

 _And it was why he stood by her side, to calm her of her fear. It was too much for her to even bear, and she bore it with heart weighed with an anvil._

 _And it was through that fear that he vowed to love her and others._

* * *

April 8th 2023—Floor 11—Taft

It had been a while, he thought, since the battle against Illfang. And it indeed had been a while. No… It wouldn't be an overstatement to say that it had been waaay too long since the battle.

It was now April 8th 2023, on the eleventh floor. Adam was currently in one of the town's—named Taft, appropriately—inns. He had just rescued a guild called the 'Moonlit Black Cats' back in the labyrinth, and they managed to get out of there alive.

"Here's to us, The Moonlight Black Cats!" One of the members cheered.

*Kk!*

"Cheers!" Everyone else roared with the same joy, as they clacked their goblets and cups together.

Well, all except one, that is.

'I don't belong here,' Adam thought to himself, for the umpteenth time. After rescuing the guild, they had insisted that they'd join him. It took much reassuring—that he wouldn't be a bother—and much pleading to finally crack his shell.

"And here's to Adam, our saviour!" The same guy from earlier toasted again.

"Cheers!" Everyone returned their member's enthusiasm, raising their cups towards their newest member.

"O-Of course! C-Cheers!" Adam was never one for the spotlight anyways.

"Thanks a lot for earlier, Adam. You really saved our hides back there," The brunette in green, Sasamaru, said.

"N-Not really. I just happened to be nearby at the time," Adam sweat dropped, his mind already drifting to the time before.

* * *

Flashback

" _Is this really over..?" Ducker, the blond, muttered to himself as he clutched his chest with his left, and his dagger with his right._

" _This can't be…" Sachi, the only girl of the group, fearfully whispered to no one in particular, her grip on her spear wobbly and uneven._

 _It was so simple, so how did it all go wrong? They came here only to earn some Exp., only to be pushed back severely when their only 'Forward', the purple-cladded Tetsuo, was heavily injured._

' _No, no, no! This is going all wrong..!' Their leader, Keita, mentally cursed to himself, fully disappointed that he had somehow managed to drag his friends into this mess. 'God, please let us somehow make it out of here! There's got to be a—'_

" _Oh my GOD!"_

 _Turning to the source of the voice, everyone could only gape in disbelief as they watched a lad running towards them… With a stampede of 'Blood Wolves' trailing right behind him!_

" _What the..?!" Unable to do anything, Keita could only watch in silent horror as the feeling of dread further pressure._

 _Well, that's what he thought._

" _ **Adam, we've got trouble ahead!"**_ _Looking to where his black fairy companion was talking about, Adam could indeed make out several 'Drunk Apes'._ _ **"You need to launch your spin attack! That should get you out of this mess!"**_ _Tatl hastily informed his friend._

" _ **Yeah! Just, do something and stay alive!"**_ _Tael jumped in, already anticipating the worse._

" _Got it!" Adam complied._

 _Now, you might be thinking, didn't the fairy siblings say that they'd part ways once they reached the next town? Well, that was the original plan, buuut… Tael seemed to complain that once Adam left, they'd never get to taste delicious food ever again, so they decided to stay._

 _Though, of course, if anyone ever asked them for their reasons, they'd be able to come up with a hundred more._

 _Aaanyways… Back at the matter at hand._

 _*Krrh!* *Fwoo!* *Shin shin shin!*_

" _Hraahg!" Powering up his sword, Adam dashed towards and entered a spinning state, effectively cutting away at every monster that stood in his path. With his spin over, he faced the 'Blood Wolves', slashing and parrying and sidestepping each and every one of them._

" _Whoa…" The guild that had earlier thought they were almost ready to face their demise couldn't help but feel amazed at the stranger's show of strength; how the black haired lad was able to cut down each of his targets without breaking a sweat._

 _Well, they were wrong there. Adam was indeed sweating, but it's impossible to see something so small now, isn't it?_

 _*Shin!*_

" _Hiyah!" Bringing his blade into a thrust, the lad stabbed a 'Blood Wolf' that came his way, kicking the beast of his sword before directing his attention to another one._

 _Hah, I just used a pun! …Maybe._

" _S-Should we help him..?" Sachi asked the others, only responded with a shrug._

" _I don't know. He seems alright, so let's just watch him, ey?" At Ducker's words, everyone continued watching the spectacle._

 _*Shin!*_

" _To Hell with you!" Roaring with determination, Adam dug his blade through the throat of a 'Blood Wolf', before slicing it in half and goring the last one._

 _Finally done with all the troubles, Adam merely dusted himself with his hand, looking rather plain and healthy. …What?! Nah, can't be!_

* * *

"I was really scared, truth be told. But when you came to save us… I was really relieved," Sachi weakly said to the lad, wiping away a stray tear with a smile.

"Hey, Adam," said lad looked to his new leader, seemingly interrupted before he was able to say anything to the girl. "This may be rude, since it's somewhat prying, but pray tell. What's your level?"

"Let's see…" Taking a moment to look at the level beside his health bar, he grimaced. 'Oh, fudge… I don't even have a level written there..! Oh, I'm so screwed… What to say, what to say, what to say..!'

"What to say…" So lost in his thoughts, Adam didn't even realise that those words escaped his lips.

"Hmm? What was that?" Keita called out to his newest addition, to which the latter shook himself from his thoughts.

"O-Oh? Ah, sorry! But, I ah… I gotta' use it, you know?" Adam lied as he stood from his seat, hastily trying to excusing himself. "Sorry!"

"Ah, of course," earning himself a response from Keita, Adam left the scene.

The lad broke into a run, fleeing the scene through the back entrance of the inn. Finally out of the area, he dropped down besides the barrels, panting.

" **What happened back there? You were doing great,"** Tael appeared. **"And what did you do to your hair? It's so comfy to hide in."**

" **Agreed. It's surprisingly not sharp, and it's even possible to sleep in it,"** Tatl added.

"Ok, one, I do not know. My hair's just like that, so that's that," Adam answered the question of his hair. "And two, I don't know what to tell them!"

" **What'cha mean? Just pop open your HUD and tell them your level already!"** Tael complained.

" **Maybe you're unsure where it is. Pop it open, I'll take a look for you,"** Tatl commanded.

"Alright, fine," complying with their requests, he opened his HUD to show his companions. "Go on, tell me. Where's my level?"

" **Alright. Let's see, it should be…"** Taking a look all around the screen, it came as Tatl's surprise that no level was written next to his status. **"Hang on, how come it's not there?"**

" **Impossible!"** Not believing it for herself, Tael budged in, and took a hard look at the lad's status. **"What the, Adam! Are you hacked or something?!** **"**

" **No, I doubt this has anything to do with being hacked. Plus, I doubt any of the players here will be able to accomplish such task anyways,"** the black fairy wondered out loud.

"Look, just tell me what I should tell them, anything would do!" The lad pleaded to his fairies, and it didn't even take a minute for them to come up with their answer.

* * *

Back in the Inn

"Level 21?" Keita seemed taken aback at the lad's answer, but a smile broke out from his nonetheless. "Man, that's pretty close to ours. I'm amazed that you survived on your own all this time!"

"Y-Yeah, I wonder how I did…" The lad responded, nervously scratching his cheek in the process.

"Well, in any case, I know this is somewhat late and all, but… Do you think you could join our guild?" At the leader's request, Adam perked up. "We could really use your help. Tetsuo's the only 'Forward' we have since he uses maces."

Adam dropped into his thoughts for a moment, before looking up to see Keita grabbing the blue haired girl's shoulder.

"And this here is Sachi. I'm planning to have her switch to a sword and shield so she too can become a 'Forward'," Keita's explanation seemed to make sense, since having only one 'Forward' can be quite the trouble. "Trouble is that she doesn't know what to do. So, think you could coach her a bit?"

"D-Don't belittle me, Keita," Sachi gently scolded her leader, which—much to her embarrassment and chagrin—resulted in everyone breaking into a short laughter. Pouting, she continue. "Come on, it's natural to be scared when you suddenly have to take the close-combat role."

"Oh, please. You could hide behind your shield," Ducker suggested, before taking his cup to his lips.

"Man, you guys seem close. Are you a family or something?" Adam voiced out his curiosity after having to see the friendliness between the guild's members.

"Hehe, you could say that. See, everyone here is from our school's Computer Club," Keita explained, taking a moment to let the knowledge sink in their newest member. "But you don't need to worry, Adam. You'll fit in! No doubt."

"Oh, I see…" Adam nodded, understanding half of what his leader said. 'What's a 'computer'..?'

"So, what do you say?" As if on cue to their leader, everyone turned to look at the lad. "Think you'd wanna' join?"

"Hmm…" It was tempting, to say the least. Being in a guild, he may or may not be able to share Tatl and Tael's existence with them. But, at the very least, he wouldn't need to worry about resources and the like. They always shared what they found, so this might be a big help soon enough.

Having to think this through, Adam chose to—

"I'll do it," he said.

"Haha, welcome to the 'Moonlit Black Cats'!" Beaming at his response, it didn't take long for them to surround their newest member, barraging him with their own names and the like.

* * *

May 9th 2023—Floor 20—Sunlit Forest

*Clang!* *Kreeaa!*

Parrying the 'Killer Mantis', Adam knocked it backwards, sending it into a stagger.

"Tetsuo!" He roared to his teammate. "Switch!"

"Understood!" Ready with his mace, the purple-outfitted man ran towards the enemy, and—

*Krrrh!*

"Hraagh!" With his mace powered up, he bludgeoned the 'Killed Mantis' with repetitive strikes.

*Kreaa…* *Prrh!*

Already dead, the insect materialised into pixels, effectively disappearing.

"Yeaha! / Nice one, Tetsuo! / You did it!" Adam noticed the commotion where the 'Killer Mantis' once stood, and it seemed that the mace-wielding brunette managed to level up. Ducker and Sasamaru were there as well, laughing and cheering with his friends.

* * *

"Hey, Adam," looking from the piece of bread he had, and secretly placing crumbs in his hair, he turned to look at his leader, who was currently lying down on the grass with a piece of paper held up in the air. "What d'ya think's the difference between us and the clearing group?"

"Hmm, I'm not sure. I mean, they must be one hell of a group, to be able to pass the twenty-eighth floor already," Adam responded with a shrug. "But, it could be the information they have. They probably get to have the best training spots and the like much earlier than anyone else."

"Haa… That could be it," Keita began as he set the paper down, and rose into a sitting position. "But the major factor here's the willpower."

"What? Willpower?" Out of all the answers that Adam had been expecting—and trust me, he had fifty guesses ready in his head. "What, the determination to protect the players?"

"Yeah, that's the one," Keita replied, now facing the lad. "Right now, even though we're the ones being protected, I have a feeling that my determination is just as strong as theirs."

"Of course," Keita turned to look behind him, and Adam followed his gaze; which landed on the other members of the group. "My friends' safety is my top priority no matter what. And someday, I hope all of us will be able to join the clearing group."

"Damn, when you say it like that, I've got nothing else to say," Adam replied, sheepishly grinning like an idiot.

*Kkkk!*

"Gah! / Nice speech, leader!" Keita noticed now that he was being held in a choke-hold by the blond, though of course, he was lucky that he wasn't being choked to death.

"So, this 'someday', we'll be comrades with the Divine Dragon Alliance and the Knights of Blood?" Tetsuo jokingly quoted.

"S-So? I think it's a cool dream..! We'll first reach Level 30, and then, we'd be able to hit it off!" Keita retorted.

"If you think so, boss!" Ducker jokingly said, still keeping his choke-hold intact.

'Damn, they sure are close,' Adam gazed at the familial scene before him. 'If the 'Moonlit Black Cats' do improve and make it to the front lines, Keita's ideals would surely inspire the people to fight on… Everyone would look up to them, and they'd try to reach for the ladders as well.'

'But…' Adam suddenly frowned, taking a look beside his health bar. 'My level's still not there…'

* * *

That Night

Done with their battles and such, the guild made their return to their inn. What was different, this time, was the excitement held in Keita's voice, as he had ensured that everyone hastened to get back to the inn.

"Alright, everyone! I've got an announcement!" Keita addressed everyone, as he stood at the centre of the room whilst his members sat on the beds. "With the current Col we have, added with the spoils from the last hunt… We now have 200,000 Col!"

"Whoa!" Everyone else were certainly surprised at what they heard, soon enough breaking into grins.

"Then, buying our own house won't be such a pipe dream after all!" Tetsuo chimed in with a wide grin.

"Hey, hey! How about we get Sachi some new equipment, then?" Sasamaru suggested, resulting in a frown from the girl in question.

"I-I'm fine with what I have already," she weakly responded, shaking her head to add to her statement.

"Hey now, you can't be reserved forever, you know?" She looked to Ducker, who was playfully scolding her. "I mean, we can't make Adam our 'Forward' forever, right?"

"O-Oh… Sorry," hearing the blond's argument certainly downed her spirits.

"Hey, I'm okay with it! Just stay in the rear, really. You never know when you could be helpful just by staying in the back!" Adam cheekily replied, a small grin etched on his face.

"Sorry, Adam. But Sachi, you're nearly there at switching jobs. Let's do our best!" Though he tried to motivate her, it didn't help at all.

"R-Right…" She weakly replied.

And Adam could very well tell that it struck her hard.

* * *

May 10th 2023—Floor 20

It was dark, to be honest, but that never seemed to faze the young lad. He walked around in the fields, scanning the area to find any wild beasts to slay. He had already taken down five, but he needed more. Though, of course, he was lucky to have his fairy companions to accompany him.

" **And so, that is what a 'computer' is,"** Tatl said, tired after having to explain what a computer looked like and does. **"Any questions?"**

"No, no… I think I get it," Adam replied with a grin.

" **Oh, thank God! I thought I would've died just from explaining you all that…"** Tatl sighed in relief.

" **But I don't get it. You're a Player, so how do you not know a computer?"** Tael's question seemed to sting the lad, if indicated by him flinching to her question.

"…I guess I haven't been fully honest with all of you, huh?" It was apparent, that just by how he said it, that he hid more secrets than they thought.

" **What do you mean, Adam?"** Tael asked, feeling rather insecure all of a sudden. **"You are human… Right?"**

"I guess it's time I told you the truth," the lad began with a heavy heart.

And through the night, they talked and talked about him, which each information about him revealed, it only shocked them even more. Of how he's not what he seemed to be, of how he knew so much without having to study at all. But when it came to other things, such as if he knew his past life, he couldn't answer. So much questions, so little answers…

But the biggest one is this; who created him?

* * *

May 16th 2023—Floor 28—Wolf Plains

It was dark, just like the last time back in the tenth of May. The multiple stonehenge that stood here and there made him wonder where the game's creator took the idea from.

Or, one of the possibilities that came to his mind, he could have been the original guy of it all.

*Rrr!*

Noticing the snarling of a wolf, Adam ran to the top of the hill, allowing him a full view of the area. Down there, he could make several 'Blood Wolf' engaging red-cladded men.

*Shin!*

What caught his attention next was the quick slice of a blade—powered up—against the body of a 'Blood Wolf Leader', effectively ending its life. Looking to the wielder of the blade, it took him a moment to notice who it was, until—

"Klein?!" Adam loudly blurted out.

"Eh?" Surprised to hear that his name was suddenly shouted out, he scanned his surroundings, finally noticing the lad. "Hey, Adam! Guys, I'll be leaving the mobs to y'all!"

"Roger!" The other guys yelled back.

How did they meet, you might be asking? Well, it's simple. On the first day that they received the news of Sword Art Online being a death game, Klein had accidentally bumped into the lad. Not knowing what to do, he requested that Adam teach him the ways of the game.

Of course, Adam couldn't just reject his request. And as such, Adam took a while to train the older man. After a while, both of them were pleased to see that Klein had indeed succeeded, which seemed to be his greatest joy. And from there, they became close friends, giving each other their contacts in the end.

"Man, I haven't seen you a lot nowadays! How are you?" Klein asked, pacing up the hill with a short jog.

"Sorta' good. And I'm surprised that you're getting the hang of all this," Adam replied, ending his statement with a cheeky tone

"I can do it if I put effort into it..!" Klein pouted, before his smile returned to him. "So, you've been training this late at night?"

"Yeah, just to be prepared and the like!" Adam heartily replied, smacking his palm against his chest. "Can't let my guild down now!"

"Oh, so you've joined a guild now?" Klein took a moment to look at the pointer above the lad's health bar, only confirming his earlier guess. "What's it called?"

"The 'Moonlit Black Cats'. It's a regular guild so really, it's not too bad," the lad replied, before walking down the hill. "In any case, it's been nice catching up to you," he paused to give a pat on the older man's arm, then resuming to walk down. "We'll see each other someday, alright?"

"Yeah, definitely! Good luck with your guild, Adam!" Klein shouted back, giving a wave to his friend before he warped away.

* * *

*Kng!*

"Hmm?" Adam had just warped into the town, and was ready to get back to the inn, when an orange bubble popped in front of him. Tapping it with his right finger, it opened a message.

'By Keita, Sachi has went out and hasn't returned yet. The rest of us will be checking in the dungeon area. If you know anything, something really, let us know.'

Dread biting at the nape of his neck, he began scanning the area.

*Zzzk…*

His left eye turned a whitish-blue, and a sort of gear appeared in front of it. Scanning the area around him, he finally managed to identify shoe prints at the road belonging to Sachi. Using it as a guide, the lad ran down the alley and, following the shoe prints, finally reaching the bridge.

He wondered to where she could have gone, but it came to him in an instance; she was probably below the bridge.

* * *

Bringing her knees close to her chest, Sachi watched as the gleaming water flowed in one way; towards her right. She sat there, mind clouded with so many thoughts. What now? What would happen then? What if the others got hurt searching for her? All these thoughts came to an end, when—

"Sachi!" The girl in question looked to the source of the voice, which belonged to the guild's latest member; Adam. "Oh, thank God you're not hurt! Keita would definitely be nagging at me if you were…"

"Adam…" Despite the lad's effort at brightening the mood, it didn't do much. All she did, was look back down to between her calves.

And as such, trying to fit in with the mood, he became serious.

"Look, everyone's worried about you. They're off in the dungeon area, looking for you. But trust me, they'll be fine," Adam reassured her as he sat a good distance from her.

"Adam… Do you think we could…" Her words came out as slight whispering, but it reached the lad's ears nonetheless. "Could run away?"

"Run away, you say? To where? From what?" Adam asked, his trepidation already raised to its highest level.

"From this town, from the monsters," she began listing, which only added to the lad's fear. "From the 'Moonlit Black Cats'… And from 'SAO'…"

"H-Hang on…" Already sweating bullets, Adam could tell that things were taking a turn for the worse. "Don't tell me you want to commit a double suicide..?!"

"Hehe… That actually sounds nice…" The girl replied, sounding rather dead. Her voice carried no emotions, shocking Adam at first, until she finally shook her head. "No… No, that's a bad idea. If I was truly prepared to die, I would be out there in the wild, and not here in the town's safety, huh?"

"T-True…" Having to calm down from Sachi finally letting go the idea of suicide, Adam allowed a small, worried grin to pop out.

"Why can't we leave, Adam..?" The girl's question took him by surprise, as indicated by him jumping by a slight. "I just… It's a game, so why is our life so at stake here..? What's the point of all this?"

"Hmm…" It took him a moment to answer, but he was dead-set on getting through. "Well, I doubt there's any real meaning behind this game. It may as well be a trial, or something…"

Letting the answer to sink in her, Adam joined her gaze to the waters. It seemed so beautiful, he thought, since there weren't any rubbish or the like in the water. Had there been any, it would've been a murky brown, not this glistening blu—

"I'm scared of dying," her words snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Really?" Adam asked, responded with the blue haired girl's nod.

"I'm afraid of it a lot, to the point where I haven't been getting any sleep for the past few days…" She admitted, which answered one of Adam's earlier questions.

Of why she'd always be sleeping during the day at some times.

"That actually isn't cowardice, Sachi," Adam began, not even turning to face her—as she did to look at him. "Everyone's afraid of dying. Hell, if you were to ask even the biggest of the bunch, he'd say he's scared of death. No one knows what happens when you do die, and only God knows how painful it is."

"But… If you are, then you have my word that you won't die," Adam declared, determination present in his voice.

"R-Really? How would you know?" She asked, a tiny bit skeptical at his words.

"It's without doubt that the 'Moonlit Black Cats' isn't just any simple guild," he began explaining, a smile slowly crawling onto his face. "Plus, we're taking extreme caution in the upper floors, so that's that. And besides, I meant what I said. You don't need to be the 'Forward', since Tetsuo and I are already at the front."

"Then… Will I survive?" Sachi asked once more. Adam turned to face her. "Will I make it out of here? To face the real world again someday?"

"Mmhm! Trust me, the real world's probably awaiting your return, no doubt! You're gonna' make it out of here, and I'll be there to watch you do so, promise," the lad ascertained the blue haired girl, his smile only adding to the soothing effect.

"…" No words escaped her lips, but what it did was exactly just as the lad had hoped for; her lips curved into a smile, and a single tear of joy escaped her.

* * *

Inn

"Let's see… Sixty plus nineteen is seventy-nine, so that makes it that I have one whole stack and nineteen feathers…" Having to finish his counting, he closed his inventory screen, and plopped backwards onto his bed with a sigh. 'Seriously though, what drops these feathers? I keep finding them everywhere… Don't tell me it's those 'Feathered Little Dragon'..?"

*Creak.*

All those battles had left his muscles sore, which of course required attention. And what's the best way to soothe your aching muscles other than a good rest?

Hot cream. That always does the trick, but there isn't any here, so that's off the list.

Which explained why he never did notice the entrance to his room quietly creaked open, and a familiar face slipped in.

"S-Sachi?" He gasped, already setting himself in a sitting position atop his bed, staring in surprise as the girl carefully shut the door behind her. He could see her clutching a pillow close to her chest, so did that mean..?

"Sorry, Adam. I just couldn't sleep," she explained with a tiny smile.

* * *

'Mmhm! Trust me, the real world's probably awaiting your return, no doubt! You're gonna' make it out of here, and I'll be there to watch you do so, promise.'

Adam's words rung in her head over and over, the same words that soothed her of her fear.

After her 'intruding', the two decided to share the bed. It wasn't large, but they had to make do. Both Sachi and Adam laid on both sides, turned to face their backs against each other.

Now, let's take a look through both of their perspectives.

If we're talking about Sachi, it was a mix of feelings. She was embarrassed; feeling the warmth of a man next to her, it was hard not to feel as if she's doing something rather inappropriate. Plus, they were far too close for any of them to move around, so that was something. But… It had left her with a feeling of longing. What she wanted, what her heart ached for was to be wrapped up as warm and secure, just like in the stories she had read back in the real world. To feel loved and wanted.

Now Adam, he was a whole different case. Being in close proximity with a girl, he wanted to keep himself to himself. He had ensured to take the farthest edge of the bed as much as possible, possibly trying to give Sachi the space for her to roll around or the like. He would've just drop down from the bed, but his attempts were foiled when the girl scolded him. And as such, he decided to let it go.

'There's probably tons other players out there who's afraid of death,' Adam thought to himself, unable to get any sleep due to the presence of someone else in his bed. 'And yet…'

His thoughts paused for a while, being that Adam grimaced at something so… strange, to him.

'Even though they're being threatened with death in this unholy world, they still manage to laugh, to cry, to fight on to survive,' his thoughts continued on, even when Sachi turned her head to look at him. 'How can they do it? I don't get it…'

"Adam?" Said lad snapped out of his thoughts when the girl called for him.

"Ah, sorry. I was just thinking," Adam reassured the girl as he turned to face her, which she did as well. "But I'm not gonna' go back on my word now. You will survive, no matter what."

"Adam…" Whispering his name, she clasped his hand in hers, a small blush creeping to her face as she did.

"Sachi?" It certainly confused him, of what she was about to do. This didn't seem like her.

"I envy you, Adam," her words took him by surprise; he didn't expect that. "You're always so strong, so brave… You always face the obstacles head-on, without being afraid…"

"I-I'm nothing like that, Sachi…" The girl shook her head at his words.

"You are, Adam. You just never noticed it," she ascertained him.

"I still doubt that," he replied, only now noticing that the girl's face was directly in front of him. "Sachi? What are you—"

Moving without hesitation, she leaned in, her lips pressing softly against his and silencing him of anything he was about to say.

'W-Wha?!' It seemed that trying to escape the kiss was difficult, if it wasn't for the girl's arms that had already pulled him to her, and her lips gently—yet hastily—pushing his open. It was at that moment that he couldn't think, knowing naught of what was going on.

What was that? He could taste… meat? It must have been the dish they ate earlier, back before they went out. What added to the refreshing taste was the hint of blueberry, accompanied with a sweet scent of apple and other fruits.

"Gah!" The moment finally ended, and Adam leant back, gaping in surprise—he nearly fell, but luckily he didn't. "S-Sachi! What was—"

"That was my first kiss," she hummed, face already burning bright with embarrassment.

"Y-Yeah, same here…" He stammered, not knowing what else there is to say.

"I'm glad," Sachi beamed, wriggling closer and closer to him. "Happy, even, that it was you, Adam."

"Wait, Sachi, you don't…" He may have not been what others thought he was, but he had enough knowledge to know what was going on.

"I want this, Adam… I—" She struggled to find her words. Everything she wanted to say earlier, had now faded in the dust. "I want you."

"Sachi…" The lad was captivated, stuck transfixed, staring at her flushed face and realising for the first time since being with the 'Moonlit Black Cats' that the girl wasn't simply a friend… But a woman.

A woman he desired.

"I want this, very much… Please…" Begging him just to have a feel of him, how could he outright reject her? He owed her just as much as he owed Keita, who gave him a home.

He couldn't deny her, not now, not ever.

And so, it was at that night, that when everything was over between the two, after the moment where he caressed her with gentle flicking, with soft kisses over her nape and shoulders, after he played with the soft, round mounds a woman was born with, after having to plunge his fingers in her abyss… They finally surrendered to the sin of lust, finally finding acceptance and peace in the other's company.

"Ahghaa-Ai! AIAAAGH!"

"Ghaa..!"

Breaths hitched, both didn't know what they were doing. But it was normal, it was their first time. Though, of course, Sachi had to wrap her legs around her fri—No, lover's waist before he had left her to check on the trail of blood that dripped down her legs.

He worried for her, very much so, as he hoped so much that he didn't hurt her. The rising panic ended after she reassured him, and so…

The new lovers did what other lovers would've done. They weren't perfect, but who cares what others think? If God were to condemn them just because they weren't doing things right, so be it. They were far too drowned in want, need, pleasure, lust, and million other things.

The fear never left her, it was just very distant. But—with the sensation of something foreign entering her, with the touch of her lover around her, with the close contact of his lips and hers—everything was a fuzzy distant sensation.

All they could do now was bask in the pleasure they felt, finally regaining their sights as spots danced in front of their eyes.

"Does it… Does it still hurt?" Adam asked, removing himself from atop her and slumping into the soaked mattress, panting.

"A-A bit," Sachi answered, wriggling against him and smiling when his arms draped around her. "But… I feel a bit better."

For a time, no matter how short, he wasn't a swordsman. The pressures of the world and all his non-existent regrets weren't upon him. With Sachi wrapped against him in a gentle embrace, Adam was simply a man.

In that moment, even if it would pass, she wasn't a 'Forward'. The worries of the other guild members and the fear of death weren't clawing at her. Secure in Adam's arms, Sachi was simply a woman.

"That's good…Yeah…" He beamed, pulling the blanket from the floor—it fell when they were doing 'that'—and draping it over them both, shutting his eyes and… Feeling very at ease. "Then you're not the only one then."

"Hehehe," She giggled, her smile light and happy once more, after all the times she suffered. And for the first time since she arrived, she slept well.

Wrapped in her lover's arms.

* * *

The Next Day

"Alright then, everyone. I'll be back soon," Keita addressed to his guild with a calm grin. "Teleport to Starting Town."

*Khh!*

Brought into a circle of magic and pixels, Keita warped.

It was finally the day, the day to buy the house they so dreamed of. Keita had promised to buy it, whilst the others just wait at town.

"Man, who knew buying a house was this exciting," Tetsuo happily commented.

"You're not wrong there," Adam joined in, folding his arms behind his back.

"Well, we have to do something while Keita goes to buy the house," Sasamaru wondered out loud, only to flip on Tetsuo's idea switch.

"Then, how about we go make some cash?" Tetsuo suggested.

"Oh! For furniture?" Sachi happily added as she clapped her hands together.

"Then how about we go to the higher dungeons?" Ducker chimed in.

"H-Hey now, that sounds rather dangerous," Adam wasn't just feigning his worry; he had the rights to be so. The guild wasn't exactly in top shape to face off against the higher-levelled monsters. It's basically suicide. "Our usual hunting spots would be better."

"Well, it'd be more efficient in the higher floors," Sasamaru interjected, though politely of course.

"No, you don't get it. The monsters there, their levels are way too much. At our current levels, we'd be walking into a death trap," Adam retorted, biting the inside of his cheek.

"Oh, please. We'll be fine at our levels, trust me," Ducker joined in, seemingly unfazed by Adam's words.

'Damn it..! They're gonna' get themselves killed at this rate! What to do..?' The lad was in a moment of rush; he had to come up with something, lest they get their lives tossed aside without waste.

"You need to trust me on this one. Going there, you're only going to get yourselves killed. Those monsters' levels are more than enough to send you to oblivion," Adam spoke up once more after a while, managing to catch the attention of the others.

"Adam? What do you mean by that?" Sachi, of all the people, asked him. "D-Don't get me wrong! It's not that I don't believe you or anything, it's just…"

"I've gone there," he finally admitted, shocking the others.

"H-Hang on! When?" Sasamaru was indeed blown away by his statement, but the lad ignored his surprise and continued.

"I did so back before I met you guys. I was a fool," he created the story on the spot, so it was hard to truly put in the details. "I went there because there was another group going there. I followed, but they got killed. I had no choice but to run. I…"

Trying to add to his guilt-showing, he looked down to his open hands, faking a grimaced expression as he kept his gaze on them.

"I couldn't do anything back then… I just don't want to repeat those mistakes again. I've been haunted by that ever since then," he finally concluded, inwardly hoping that they'd buy his lies.

And they did.

"W-Whoa… That sounded intense. We didn't want to worry you, Adam," Ducker apologised, sounding honest.

"Please, don't go. The dungeon… We'll go when we're stronger. For now, please…" Adam begged, only to bend himself into a bowing position. "Please…"

"O-Ok, ok! Adam, we won't go!" Sasamaru reassured the lad, sighing in relief when the lad finally stood straight. "It's kind of hard to not listen to you when you're the most experienced out of all of us."

"True. I mean, I doubt I could here from floor one all alone, something you've done," Tetsuo added. It was clear, just by how his fingers began fidgeting with one another, that he too was rather embarrassed.

"Adam…" Unable to form any other words, she could only whisper her lover's name, only to smile at him with such lovingness that he had never known could exist.

* * *

Nighttime

*Clank!*

"CHEERS!" Everyone toasted with their goblets, before downing their drinks.

"Here's to our new house!" Keita cheered, smiling widely soon after.

"Damn, you have good tastes, Keita," Adam commented as he took a look around the room they were in; a dining room that even had its own chandelier, polished chairs, a large table, good windows and properly painted walls.

"Yeah! This is the best! Now we never have to step foot into an inn ever again!" Ducker roared with much joy.

Smiling along with the other members, only now had he felt so… filled. Even with the presence of his fairy companions as he travelled around the game, never had he felt so alone. But now… He knows what it's like to have a family. To be welcomed with open arms, and to share in the laughter.

*Kng!*

"Eh?" Snapped out of his trance, Adam noticed an orange bubble pop up right in front of him. He excused himself, before making his way upstairs.

…

It was a moment before he finally came back, confused that everyone were still waiting for him. They haven't even touch the food yet.

"How long was I upstairs for?" Adam asked, slightly concerned that he had been holding his friends back.

"Oh, just two minutes," Sachi answered.

Two minutes? It definitely felt longer than she stated. Nonetheless, Adam prepared himself to voice out the words he desperately didn't want to.

It took every ounce of his willpower to not break down there and now.

"Guys… I would like to," he paused, breath hitched in his throat, before he finished his statement. "To leave the guild."

…What?

"Wait, what?" That definitely wasn't what Keita expected, before he suddenly grew frantic. "H-Hang on, now! A-Are you upset? D-Did we do something wrong?"

"N-No! God, no! You never did anything wrong! You welcomed me into your guild, your FAMILY, and even your house. God, this is all so surreal, but it's amazing!" Adam immediately answered back, not wanting to keep Keita feeling guilty.

"T-Then why? Why are you leaving?" Sachi asked, her hands clasped together, and her expression in pain.

"I… There's a business that I must attend to, and it's really important. I can't not go for it, so please…" Adam bowed, gritting his teeth and eyes shut tight. "Please allow me to leave your guild."

"Adam, why can't we go together?" Sachi asked, pressured beyond words at just trying to ask him that.

"Because… Because you'll only get hurt soon enough, and this won't be a walk in the park," the lad explained, fists balled so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "I can't let you guys get hurt, and this is something only I can accomplish. Please… For your sake, and for mine, let me go…"

"Adam…" Keita was struggling, it seems, just to release the lad. But he complied nonetheless, popping open the HUD and kicking Adam from his guild. "I'm done. You…You're free to go."

"Thank you, Keita," without wasting a moment, the lad stood and walked out of the room.

He was close enough to the door, just ready to twist its knob open, before—

*Th.*

"Adam, you can't go!" The bluenette grabbed his hand rather forcefully, tears threatening to be expelled.

"Sachi…" Turning to face her, his heart wrenched. Seeing her so hurt, because of him… He steeled himself, and his fingers were soon to miss the sensation of her soft cheek. "I can't stay, love. This is something that I have to do. No matter what, I can't drag anyone else in this."

"Then promise me," she bit back her sorrow, forcing her words out of her mouth. "Promise me we'll meet again!"

'Sachi…' It was painful, he admitted, to leave her. But, never had he seen her so determined, so brave… He tossed his sorrow aside, and forced a smile for her. "Of course. Someday."

* * *

 _Those three words were a promise he made to her, one that she kept locked in her heart, that acted as their fuel to continue living._

 _It was his source of motivation, to keep on fighting, and come out of the battles alive._

 _And it was her words of sanity, keeping her unshackled by fear, and her bravery._


	4. Chapter 3

"Don't let me down!" - Speech

'You look familiar…' - Thoughts

" _The war was over."_ \- Flashback

*Whoosh!* *Tzzz!* - Sound effects

" **This isn't good!"** \- Tatl / Tael Speech

' **How in the world?'** \- Tatl / Tael Thoughts

* * *

'`Chapter 3: A Draconic Instinct'`

 _Silica was far from perfect, she knew, but she kept on winning the hearts of the people with her bravery and charisma._

 _And then, when they met, when he defended her from the beasts of the forest, it was then that she repented for her sin of pride._

 _He appeared by chance, but when she made herself his, she would never again leave his side._

 _In all her time in the world of Sword Art Online, all her hopes and dreams, there had only been one true thing that she wanted—and it seemed that the First AI was the only one that could have ever given it to her._

* * *

February 20th 2024, Floor 29

"I hate mud…" Adam complained for the God-knows-how-many time. His face, coat, shirt and shoes were all covered in the same substance that he declared his hatred towards. "I hate mud so much…"

" **We know. You said that for the nineteenth time,"** Tael informed him, surprisingly not annoyed with him.

"They're icky, sticky, and limit your movements… And they splash about if you accidentally toss em' into the air… Conclusion is, they suck!" Ending his rantings with a roar, Adam finally allowed himself to drop to the not-muddy grass with a sigh.

" **I wonder how is it that mud is formed,"** Tatl wondered out loud, not even noticing the look his sister was giving him.

"It's earth mixed with water. Simple as that," Adam answered, finally turning his back around so he was facing upwards.

" **I see… That certainly is interesting. But it makes you wonder what you can do with it, since it's such a troubling thing,"** Tatl wondered out loud, somehow not noticing her sister cringing.

' **Are you kidding me..?'** Tael began to realise that her brother may as well be a nerd.

"It may be one heck of a thing, but based on what I've been told… They're used for building and construction, pottery, recreation and the like," Adam listed, whilst keeping the knowledge of geophagia a secret. 'I don't need them to start eating dirt, after all…'

" **Building?"** This time, it was Tael who seemed interested in the facts about dirt. **"Don't tell me people can live in a house of mud, can they?"**

"I heard there is such a place," Adam answered back, surprising the white fairy. "I think it was a place called Yemen, or something…"

" **Huh, well then,"** Planning to end the discussion about 'mud', Tael interjected. **"What say you that we get back to civilisation? We can get a drink, something to eat, and you, Adam, could get a bath—"**

"Yes!" At the sheer mention of the word 'bath', adrenaline pumped through the lad's veins. 'I'm gonna' get through this and get a bath, and I'm not dying till' then!'

And, with renewed vigour—much to the fairy siblings' embarrassment, they set off in search of the town they came from.

Though, of course, that didn't prove to be too difficult. Tael was their navigator, after all, and she was one hell of a navigator.

* * *

Flashback—February 23rd 2024—Floor 35—Forest of Wandering

" _I don't get it, you have that lizard to heal you," one of the soldiers voiced out, confused with the woman's actions. "Why'd you use the healing crystals then?"_

 _*Rraa!*_

" _Yeah!" The youngest-looking girl joined in, though a slight sting of annoyance struck her as the soldier called her 'Feathered Little Dragon', Pina, a lizard. "You always fight from a safe distance, so why'd you even need the healing crystals?!"_

" _Well, isn't it obvious?" The red haired woman replied, taking a look at her inventory whilst she twirled her long fringe over and over again. "I'm not a cutesy little idol like you, Silica-chan. And because of that, the boys wouldn't heal me."_

 _Her reply only seemed to infuriate the young girl._

" _H-Hey now… Let's take it easy now, eh?" Another soldier reasoned with the redhead._

" _Oh, have we been taking it hard since earlier?" The redhead only chuckled to her statement… Yeah, don't even think about understanding what she meant._

" _Hmph! Fine, take em', I don't care. I'll never party with you ever again. Plus, I'm just gonna' keep getting invited by people, since invitations just fall into my lap," Silica huffed in an annoyed manner, before making her way into the forest and away from the group._

" _W-Wait! Silica-chan!" One of the soldiers called out to her, but it was no use. She had deafened herself from their words, and the path she took would lead to her chance encounter._

 _And demise._

* * *

Present

And of course, it wouldn't be called 'underestimating' her if she was regretting the choice she just made.

Panting from the exhaustion, she was backed into a tree, gripping tightly onto her steel dagger like it was her only method of staying alive; as if that if she were to lose it now, everything'd end for her.

And that's not an overstatement.

First of, why was she backed into the tree in the first place? Well, you see—

*Grrooaa!*

'Drunk Ape' were up and about during the night, so the girl was in a predicament. Encountering them, she had intended to escape, but—after being tossed from here to there by the beasts—she had no choice but to engage them in battle.

However, taking a look to her health bar, things weren't doing well. She had only a total of 3831 health out of 9342, losing health beyond half of the total.

*Graaa!* *Boom!*

"Kah!" Having to barely dodge a strike from the wooden club of the 'Drunk Ape' by jumping into a roll away to her right, she had to perform a back-flip to avoid the strike of another.

*Krrh!*

"Thanks, Pina!" The girl thanked her dragon as she felt energy flow back in her, curtesy of the dragon, as it was able to perform a healing spell onto her.

Health back in the green, her confidence didn't do well to rise. It would've had, had the beasts had swayed, or something! And yet, here they are, still strong and unbroken, just like they were from the start.

Much to her fear.

'Alright… I'll just need to heal up real quick…' Hand moving without wasting a moment, she slipped to the little iron-box holstered to the back of her belt, only to realise… 'Oh no..! I'm out of healing items!'

*Bash!* *Thud!*

"Gah!" Being distracted from the shock proved to be her downfall, as she was sent flying against the nearby tree. Dropping to the grass, back scraping against the rough wood—

*Thunk!*

"Ow!" And with an apple dropping from the tree and smacking her forehead.

'H-Hang on..!' And the problems came one after another, and this time, her knife was missing. Searching the area, she couldn't find the knife, which only increased her fear metre.

'H-Help me..!' It probably wouldn't do any good, she knew, and yet… Couldn't she just pray and hope that someone would be there to save her?

She can't die now…

* * *

A Moment Earlier

"Phew! At least the forest isn't as bad as the place earlier!" Adam happily chirped, with his arms folded behind his back and a wide, toothy grin plastered on his face.

" **Can't disagree with you on that one. The forest is surprisingly beautiful,"** Tael commented, admiring the beauty of the surroundings. It seemed that there were little mushrooms here and there giving off a sort of illumination; a glow, and that caught her attention.

Tatl had to stop his white fairy sister from flying too close to them, much to her annoyance. God knows what substances they could emit… Lesson learnt; mushrooms are dangerous.

" **In any case, Adam,"** Tatl called out to his human friend—yes, I said 'friend'. They have become close enough to be called so. **"What's our next task from here? Finding wild beasts to slay? Uncover some treasure chest?"**

" **Don't tell me you didn't hear what he said earlier…"** Tael asked her brother, sounding rather disappointed. It only heightened when he seemed confused with her words.

" **Wait, did Adam say anything?"** The black fairy inquired. **"I never heard anything."**

" **It's because you've been too busy looking at the moon, you dolt!"** It wasn't rare to be nagged at by her sister, but being called a 'dolt', that managed to send a twinge in his pride.

" **I-It looked nice! You were doing the same thing! You kept approaching those mushrooms!"** Tael's counterargument managed to force her sister to flinch; his comment hit rather close to home.

" **To Hell with that nonsense!"** Blinking at the commotion before him, it seemed that Tael was rather ready to hit her brother into oblivion.

And, without a moment to waste, he intervened before things got messy.

"Ok, cut the fight already!" Listening to their human friend's request, they complied, though not without huffing and turning from each other. Adam merely sweat dropped at this. "A-Anyways, Tael. I heard that there's a player in the woods that require assistance."

"She's a Tamer, who has a 'Feathered Little Dragon' as company. God knows what her name is, but she's a dagger wielder," listing down all the details he had about her from the information he gained from Argo, the fairies nodded to his words. "In any case, I don't think we're far off now. She's probably—"

*Graaa!* *Boom!*

"Kah!" Hearing the roaring of a 'Drunk Ape', accompanied with the harsh contact of its weapon and the earth, and later on the yelp of a girl, it seemed that they found the one they needed to.

"Well, seems like things became easier for us, huh?" Adam cheekily mused, before breaking into a run towards the location of the girl, with his fairy friends trailing right behind him, leaving black and white sparkles in the air as they flew.

*Krra!*

"P-Pina! Stay away!" Begrudgingly, the dragon complied to her master's orders, keeping a safe distance from the three 'Drunk Ape'.

'This is where you die,' a treacherous part of her mind whispered into her ears, bringing a cold shock up her spine.

*Groaa!*

Was it going to end just like that? Glancing towards her dragon, a short smile broke out of her, accompanied with water welling up in her eyes. If she was to say goodbye to the dragon, then so be it. At least it'd live, and she would've lived a good life so far.

*Groaa!* *Chng!*

What came next was something that she had never even thought of.

Without any warning whatsoever, the 'Drunk Apes' broke into pixels, seemingly killed by someone. Blinking away the tears to the best that she could do, she glanced past where the club-swinging beasts stood.

"Got em'," there stood a grinning swordsman, clad in iron armour and donned in a midnight-black coat. The sword glowed, before the light finally dying down, and saddled on his shoulder.

And by God, she couldn't do anything but stare at that grin. It was beautiful.

* * *

Floor 35—Mishe

"So, pray tell. May I at least know your name?" Adam inquired, immediately snapping the girl that walked beside him out of her trance.

"O-Oh! T-The name's Silica! Yup, that's me!" The girl answered back with much enthusiasm and—to his confusion—slight jitters. "And this here is Pina!"

*Kraa!*

"I see, so you're a Beast Tamer," confirming his previous assumptions, he merely nodded his head in response to her introduction.

"And how about you?" Of course, Adam couldn't just ask a person for his or her name without giving his own.

"Ah, right. The name's Adam. Pleasure," he replied with a calm smile, forcing the girl to stutter and… Why was her face burning up? Fever? "Jeez louis, there's so many people…"

"Well, this is a town, after all," Silica reminded him, nervously chuckling to his sudden complaint.

"Sorry. I just don't like it when it gets too crowded. You never know when it could turn into a stampede…" He warned with much caution that, unsurprisingly, brought her to a light laughter.

"Haha~! That could happen!" She answered back after she finished laughing, wiping away a stray tear.

They had left the forest and returned to civilisation, and already they were this close. To think, that it went from strangers, to acquaintances, and now? I guess it wouldn't too farfetched to say that they became friends.

Just like all the times he meets a new person.

"Hey, look!" A man cried out, smiling as he jogged towards Silica, a friend lagging right behind him. "It's Silica-chan! We heard you were in the forest all day. We were worried about you, you know?"

"O-Oh. Sorry to worry you then," she apologised, but Adam could very well tell where this was going.

"Hey, Silica-chan, you should party with us next time. We can go wherever you want to!" The previous man's friend informed her, a grin on her face that—whilst it may seem sweet on the outside—hid a bit of maliciousness.

"W-Well, I appreciate the offer, but…" Looking around for an excuse, her eyes finally landed upon the lad's free arm. In an instance, she hugged his arm, surprising him for a moment before she spoke to the two men once more. "I've decided to party with him for a while, so sorry."

"…" Immediately, the men glared at Adam, whilst he looked back with his head tilted.

"See you around next time," Silica bid the men farewell, before walking off—Adam following her lead—away from the scene. "Sorry about this, Adam…" She apologised with an embarrassed smile.

"Meh, forget it. But now, you've got me curious," the black haired lad began. "You seemed really popular back there. What are they, your fans?"

"N-No…" Her response took him by surprise, for he was expecting for her to ascertain his assumptions. "They probably wanted me to be their party's mascot, just as with the other groups I've been with…" Her expressions slowly dropped into a frown. "And yet, even though I realised it, I sort of got conceited when they started calling me Dragon Tamer Silica…"

"Aah, I get it. Oh well, what's past is the past. Move on," the lad's words shook her out of her slight depression, replacing it with a soothing surprise.

*Pah.*

"I promised you earlier that we'd get that flower. And we're going to get it no matter what," Adam ascertained the girl, whose head he patted, eliciting a smile from her.

"Yeah," she replied back.

Returning to their walk, they moved down the streets and walked under the yellow streetlights to the closest inn. It looked much grander than any other inns that Adam had seen before, but getting a good sleep was definitely something that he had been dying for for a while now.

"So, Adam. Where do you live?" Silica asked, a hint of curiosity present in her eyes.

"Well, it's on floor 50, but I think it'd be easier if we stick together. So, I thought that we should spend the night here," he explained to her.

"Oh, really?! Then you just have to taste their cheesecake here! It's super good!" The girl chirped at the lad, eliciting an 'Ooh!' from him.

"Cheesecake? Oh, I've never tried one before! This sounds like the best chance then!" It took him every willpower to not drool at the imaginary picture of a cheesecake floating in his mind.

"Yeah!" Silica couldn't agree more. It was like a heaven on Earth, except… Cheesecakes in Heaven were definitely gonna' taste better than the ones we have now, sooo… Yeeaah…

"Well, if it isn't Silica-chan," a familiar voice called out to the girl. Adam dragged his view to the source of the voice, until his eyes landed upon the figure of a red haired woman holding a naginata; Rosalia. "Wow, so you managed to make it out alive from the forest? You have my praise then," just as she said this, she approached the pair.

"Psst! Silica!" Adam leaned in to whisper to her, whilst keeping his vision fixed on the inclosing woman. "Do you know her? Seems like you're having some sort of problem."

"No, it's nothing," though her words were to reassure him, it did anything but that. He wanted so much to believe her, to believe her smile but…

"Oh? Where's the lizard? Don't tell me it died already…" Her sultry tone of voice seemed to infuriate the lad.

"H-He's not. I'm just keeping him safe for the time being. Plus, we're going to get an item that we can use to resurrect him if he gets killed," Silica answered back, slightly nervous.

"Oh? But really now… Do you actually think you can get there with your current level?" At the older woman's pointing-out, the girl's spirits seemed to fall by a bit.

"Are you crazy? Of course she can," Adam jumped in with a light grin. "The area isn't dangerous, after all."

His interruption seemed to sour her mood, albeit for awhile, before her dry smirk returned to her once more.

"Oh? Don't tell me you're seduced by her 'charms' as well, are you?" Her accusation didn't even hit the target at all. Rather, it forced him to mentally sigh. "Just from looks, I can tell that you're not that very strong now."

"Hmm, true. But you know what they say," taking his friend's arm, he walked past the redhead, a tired grin growing on his face. "What doesn't look dangerous can be quite deadly."

It ticked her off, obviously, but a devilish smirk crossed her face just as immediately. That can't be good…

* * *

Inn

"Why is she so mean to me?" Silica asked to no one in particular, even though the lad sat opposite from her.

"Meh, only God knows what runs through her head. In any case, is 'SAO' the first 'MMO' that you've ever played?" Adam inquired the girl, earning himself a nod soon after, and a soft confirmation. "No matter what the game is, there's gonna' be a buttload of different players. Some play the hero, others the villain."

"You notice that our player indicator is green, right?" His question was unexpected, but he continued nonetheless. "It's a general knowledge here that, if you were to commit a crime, the indicator turns orange. And what's worse are the player killers. That earns them a red indicator."

"K-Killers..?!" His explanation seemed far too serious to be a joke, so that definitely spooked her by a bit. Even the candle flame flickered at his words.

"In a game that's, let's just say… Being the villain can be quite fun," Adam admitted, but his tongue numbed just as he spoke. "But in 'SAO', things are obviously different. You kill, you actually become a killer."

"..!" Flinching at his words, Silica's gaze dropped to the cup she gripped with both hands.

"This world really isn't all funs and games…" Adam suddenly spoke up after a while, face burning with seriousness. "It's like a hell on earth."

"Adam…" It was rare for him to be so mad, she thought, for the entire time that she was with him, he had been nothing more than a happy-go-lucky player… Well, there are two things that aren't obvious here.

One; him being happy. Anyone can hide their emotions behind a façade, so they choose to smile. So that no one gets worried, and that they carry the burden alone.

Two; who said the lad's a player..?

"A-Adam, I think you're a good person!" Suddenly blurting that out, even the person who spoke it was surprised at what she said.

"I don't follow…" The lad replied back, rather doubtful of her claim.

"You are! You're my saviour!" She cried out, clasping his hands in hers.

"…" He was genuinely surprised by the sudden courage, but it managed to bring him to slight chuckles.

"W-What..?" Slightly embarrassed with what she did, she released his hands.

"N-No… It's just, seems like our roles here are swapped. You're the one that's being the supporter here, so," putting on a gentle smile, he nodded at her. "Thank you, Silica."

*Sssh!*

Face burning at the thanks, she immediately turned the other way, hoping that Adam wouldn't catch sight of her burned face.

"M-Man! I wonder where those cheesecakes are, huh?" Her speech was slightly hasty, added to that she was fanning herself to keep the heat off from her face. "Excuse me, we still don't have our desserts!"

'Jeez. What's her problem?' Looking at her sudden franticness, all he could do was wait patiently for the inn's supposed specialty with her.

* * *

"Oh? So, you want to show me something?" Silica, whilst she may be somewhat curious at his request, was obviously a tad bit shy at having a stranger, a man no less, enter his room.

"Yeah, and it's really important," his brief explanation carried a hint of seriousness, but not as terrible as earlier. "So, may I?"

"O-Oh, sure," she pulled the door inwards to give Adam passage. "Come on in."

With a nod and his thanks, he entered the room, before sitting himself at a table and beckoning for her to join him. She did so, after shutting the door.

"Sooo," she drawled, lacking any other things to say. "What did you want to show me?"

"…Well, I wanted to show you the pathway of the forty-seventh floor, but…" Immediately putting his finger vertically across his lips, Silica took it as a signal to be silent.

She didn't understand what he meant, but he moved towards the door without explaining, secretly.

*Creak!* *Tuk tuk tuk!*

"I hate eavesdroppers!" Adam roared as he pulled the door open with great force, only able to watch as the hooded figure disappeared down the inn's stairs. Rushing to his side, a worried frown crossed the girl's expression.

"Who was that?" Silica asked. Adam sighed a moment later.

"God knows. But one thing for sure was he was probably from another guild," Adam said before returning to the room, Silica following behind.

"But, that's impossible. Trying to hear past something solid, I thought only a knock is audible," the girl pointed out.

"Very true. However, that can change when you upgrade your 'Hearing' skill," the lad's brief explanation brought her to an understanding 'Oh.'.

"Well," she began, after the surprise died down. "What do we do now?"

"We sleep. However," popping his inventory open, he pulled out a mattress of sorts, before laying it down beside the girl's bed. "I've a bad feeling that they might pull something off when we're asleep. As such, I'll be spending the night with you."

"E-EH?!" Taken aback at his rather plain statement, the girl's face burned bright once more as it once did. "Y-Y-You're s-sleeping here, w-w-with me?!"

"Huh?" Blinking at her sudden outburst, it took him a moment to catch up, and his face crossed a shocked expression when the conclusion clicked in. "O-Oi! This is just for our own safety! I'm not gonna' do anything, God! I swear it, to you and Him!"

Staring blankly—and embarrassedly—at the lad that stood a good distance away from her, her mind whirring and voice struggling to project a sound, Silica was numb. If not for his genuinely surprised expression, she would have thought that he was joking.

"God, please don't… Look, I swear, I'll keep myself to myself, and not even my hair will touch the bed's stands," the lad was dead serious with his words, and he'd make sure that he'd get it through her.

"I-I…" What to do?! It was such a rare chance!

Even in the real world, she has never slept in a room with another BOY! If he was a girl, that wouldn't be a problem, but that's not the case now! Could she just knock him out or something? What to do?! What to do?! What to—

"Ok…" She finally answered, feeling rather giddy and worried.

* * *

'This is scary,' Silica told herself for the hundredth time, tossing and turning in her bed, senses sharpened beyond their limits. 'I wonder what he's doing…'

Complying with her thoughts, she peeked over the edge of the bed and onto the lad. There, he was sleeping, having to already pull his legs to his chest until he was nothing more than a ball.

*Krraa..!*

"P-Pina..!" The girl suddenly jumped when her dragon jumped onto her lap, the latter purring at the sensation of her master's rubbing its head. "Like that, don't you?"

*Krraa~!*

Nodding its head, it flew back onto the end of the bed, cutely growling once more before finally going to sleep.

Though she had kept up a smile, she envied the dragon. Having the presence of the opposite sex in her room, not even on her bed, was enough to fill her head with thoughts and worries. She wanted to just fall to sleep, just like Pina did.

Huffing, she finally laid back onto the bed, stuffing the pillow against her face and counting to ten.

"One…" She muttered.

…

She was asleep not even a minute later.

* * *

Flashback

" _What do you mean, love others..?" Adam asked the bluenette, unsure of what she meant._

 _Just before he managed to reach the warp circle, it seemed that Sachi managed to catch up to him to tell him of something 'important'._

" _It's exactly as I said. When you meet other girls who fall in love with you… I want you to claim them," her words forced him into a stammer, for they were like the words of a conqueror._

" _N-No! Sachi, I can't! I-I promised myself, that you'll be the only I love!" Adam was shocked at her lover's words, unable to understand anything._

" _And I love you, I will always do," she whispered as she laid a chaste kiss on his cheek, cupping his face with her hands later on. "But I don't want you to be alone without me… Because of that, I want you to find others to love as well."_

" _B-B-But, I…" Lost for words, he could only gaze into the girl's eyes, feeling his heart clench at one sudden thought._

' _Are you betraying her?' Those words scared him beyond anything else, and he didn't want to hurt her._

" _I don't want to hurt you, Sachi… This wouldn't be right," she had stood by his side the moment he entered the guild, teaching him so many things._

 _That fateful night, despite rather sloppy and truly 'weak', it was the perfect night that the lad wished to protect forever. He wouldn't even let it go to hell, no matter how terrible the obstacles were._

 _And if this were to crush her heart… He wouldn't know what to do to make amends._

" _Who said it would? Think about it like this, when you do find others to love," she released his face, taking a few steps away from him, the sweetest of smiles present. "Then you'll make me the happiest girl in the world, because I know someone's out there to love you."_

 _It was hard to argue back. The smile was so beautiful, so precious… He couldn't risk losing it, and if it meant loving other women—_

* * *

February 24th 2024—Floor 47—Floria

*Pssh!*

Finally materialising from the portal, it took Silica a moment to readjust to the brightness of the area, before she lit up at the beautiful sight before her. Pina too was happily chirping as it flew a head above her, amazed at the scenery.

It was, simply to say, beautiful. It wasn't enough to describe it, because the sight of the flower bushes around them was definitely something. The petals flew in the wind, and the air itself smelled so nice. There were NPC's here and there, and the stretch of sky was infinitely blue.

"This place is beautiful!" The girl happily cried out, twirling in spot with her dragon flying above her.

"Agreed," Adam nodded, before catching a stray petal in his mouth, proceeding to chew down on the petal. He savoured the taste, so much so that he didn't notice the surprised look the girl was giving him. "And delicious," he commented with a satisfied grin.

Deciding to let it end there, she distracted herself by scanning the environment. Words, they are very powerful things, but no words could describe the sheer beauty of the plains of flowers. Pink, green, blue, yellow… You could spot flowers of varying colours as far as the eye could see.

"Well, we'll have enough to do sightseeing afterwards. Come on, we're off to find that flower!" The lad exclaimed, before marching off in one direction, the girl trailing right behind him.

' **I don't get it…'** Tael thought to himself for the—You know what? No. He thinks of things too many times. **'Why would he bring her here to take the flower, if the dragon's still fine?'**

That question had been annoying the black fairy since that night in the inn. It didn't make sense! In the anime, the dragon died, so that's that. But why did he come here when Pina's fine and alive?

' **Maybe it's just as a backup,'** Tael finally concluded. It would make sense, if you think about it, that he wanted to pluck the flower for her in case that Pina does die later on. Having the item on her would very well be very useful, and she wouldn't need to worry about the melodrama of losing Pina.

' **But…'** It was too… Easy. Too one-sided.

Why didn't he just come here when Pina _was_ in danger? It never seemed to satisfy him. Why'd he come here, to a place of flowers and where everyone there were couples, just to—

" **OH MY GOD!"**

"Huh?" Noticing a strange sound coming from nearby, Silica took a look around the area. "Hey, Adam. Did you hear anything?"

"W-What?" Stammering for just a moment, he had to up his game if he were to hide his fairy friends' existence. "No! I think you're just delusional!" He cheekily commented with a toothy grin, a small trickle of sweat on his forehead threatening to betray his cool-headedness.

"Oh, okay," Fortunately, she seemed to taken the bait, later on deciding to take another look around her.

'God, what the…' Eye twitching in slight annoyance, he moved his eyeball upwards to glare at his hair.

Just by the immediate quietness from the fairy, Adam could very well tell that Tatl was rather embarrassed. He sighed, before moving to Silica, who had—without him noticing—walked a distance away from him.

And what was she thinking?

'E-Everyone's…' Blood slowly rising up her neck, Silica just noticed that everyone in the area were couples, happily sniffing flowers together or sharing a-a kiss. 'T-They are—'

"Oi, Silica!"

"Eeeh!"

The lad's sudden calling of her name suddenly forced her out of her trance, which only forced even more heat to rush up her face. Desperately trying to hide her flushed face, she turned away, leaving only her back to face him.

"Jeez, what bit you in the leg?" Adam jokingly mused, eliciting a huff from the girl.

"I'll have you know that nothing did!" The girl pouted, sighing a moment later when the lad's grin never dissipated.

"Alright, alright. That's that, and now… Time we get moving again," the lad said to her before moving in one direction.

"Right," following beside him without any argument, the girl smiled.

Walking away from the square, Silica never did realise that during the whole time, the lad was offering his hand for her. Only after she tripped over a pebble, and with Adam barely catching her before she made contact with the road, he huffed in faked annoyance.

"Keep your eyes open," the lad gently scolded her, which forced a frown from her. "Come on."

"Of course…" she nodded sadly, and before she even managed to move away… 'H-Huh?!'

Softly dragging her by the hand, the lad walked towards the bridge, overlooking the river. Blushing rather vividly, Silica could only follow in slight fear and excitement. He just took her hand! And she was one to witness the presence of couples in the area in the first place!

"Take this," Adam's voice knocked her thoughts aside. Focusing on his hand, she could make out the shape of a teleporting crystal.

"Wait, what's this?" The girl asked, before cupping the object from the lad's hand.

"Well, it's obvious. As for what this is for, use it when I tell you to. The going's gonna' get rough soon enough, so you'll need this to warp out," the lad explained.

"Wait, you mean leave you?!" The meaning behind his words scared her, and she couldn't just do that! Not after everything he did! "That's not fair! You'd be—"

"Haha..!" She was brought to a stop when a light, yet warm, chuckle escaped, soothing her spirits tremendously. "Don't worry, Silica. I may not look like it, but I've got the skills. Trust me, I'm not going down so easily without a fight. Plus…"

*Pah.*

Slight chill travelling down her spine from the touch, she looked upwards to see that the lad had placed his hand gently on her head.

"You're the one that's important here. I'm just gonna' be here to fight off the bad guys. Pina needs you, and you're not gonna' leave it here all alone now, are you?" His pointing-out made sense, after all. She was a 'Dragon Tamer', and she can't just abandon her dragon now. "So when I give you the signal, use the crystal. I won't hear any complaints from you, and if you're still too stubborn to follow, I'll throw you myself. Understood?"

"O-Okay…" It hurt her just to agree to his decision, but she trusted him. Even when the situation does get dangerous, he'd be there to save her.

He was always like that; he'd never run away from a fight, especially if it included a friend.

* * *

Later

*Chin!* *Prrh!*

"Kh..!" Giving one large slice at the body of the plant monster, he watched as it turned into pixels.

*Kwoo!* *Th!*

Sidestepping the vines that were rapidly approaching him, he drew a wide arc with his blade towards the vines, effectively detaching them from the monster.

"Go for it," he roared at the top of his lungs. "Silica!"

"Understood!" She yelled back, rushing the beast with her brand new dagger—curtesy of Adam—and unleashing a sword skill onto it.

*Chin! Chin! Chin!* *Prrh!*

Letting loose a flurry of cuts at the monster, Adam could only watch from afar—with his blade dug in the flesh of another monster—as Silica's target finally died.

"Nice one!" Adam trotted towards the girl as his monster died as well, a grin stretched onto his face.

"Y-Yeah," his praise lifted her spirits. "But, they were pretty tricky!"

"Oh, I agree. You'd need to quote unquote 'predict' their movements," Adam said nonchalantly, before walking down the path towards the Hill of Memories.

…

"Hey, Adam?" Silica spoke up after a moment of silence. Well, after they had finished killing a dozen more monsters.

"Hm?" He didn't turn around.

"Why did you help me?" Why? That question has been at the back of her head all this while, so this was the perfect chance to ask.

"Truth be told, I don't know… I didn't really plan this all just to grab the flower," he finally admitted.

"Wait, what?" His words confused her, greatly so. "What do you mean..?"

"Okay, there's two reasons, but I'll tell you…" He paused, until they reached their end of the path. "Once you pluck that flower!"

A gasp escaped her lips as she looked off in the distance down the road. There, she could see a floating stone in the centre of some sort of structure.

Approaching the floating stone, she looked at the glowing surface of the stone, eyes widening as a white flower bloomed from the glow. Opening up, it let loose some dew from its petals, before finally standing proud and tall above the light.

"This is it," Adam broke the silence, grinning with his arms folded behind his head. "The flower of the Hill of Memories. If at any point of time where Pina accidentally gets itself killed, then you'll only need to use this flower on him. Well? Go on, the flower won't just float onto your hands, you know?"

Turning to face him, Silica's heart thawed at the sight of his award-winning smile, soothing and exotic as it always is. Returning the gesture with her own smile, she cupped the stalk in both hands, before bringing it close to her heart, sniffing it with her eyes closed.

*Krraa!*

"Of course. Anything is possible, my good draconic friend, so having a backup is always a virtue," Adam said back to the dragon, before turning his attention to the girl. "Come on, let's get back to town, eh?"

"O-Oh!" Finally putting the flower in her inventory, she nodded to the lad. "Of course!"

* * *

"You promised, Adam," Silica cheerfully reminded the lad, eliciting a hum of agreement from him.

"Of course. It'd be rude if I just kept it bottled up when I said I'd tell you," with a nod, he casted a brief glance to the girl before speaking.

"First reason, why not?" His short statement confused the girl, and—hearing nothing from her—he continued anyways. "When someone's in trouble, just help em' out. I know that Pina is okay, but it's always good to have something in case things do happen."

"I see… That makes sense," she nodded in agreement.

"And two… This is a confession, so I hope you don't get mad at me…" Exhaling air in a tired way, he was about to speak up, but paused in his tracks, followed with the girl. "You guys are bad at hiding, so don't even bother doing so. Come out, now…"

"My, my… If you're able to see through my 'Hiding' skill," a familiar person spoke, emerging from behind a tree. "Then your 'Detection' skill must be quite high, Mr. Sherlock."

"R-Rosalia-san?!" Seeing the woman after their last encounter back at Mishe definitely surprised her. But… What was she doing here?

"Well, well. Seems to me that you've succeeded in getting the Pneuma Flower. Congratulations to you," Rosalia said to the younger girl, before a devilish smirk escaped her. "Now be a good girl and hand it over."

"W-Why should I?!" Silica asked back, but it was hard to mask her nervousness and slight fear.

"Nothing's being handed over, Rosalia," the lad began as he stood in front of the younger girl with a smug grin on his face. "Or should I say, leader of the orange guild, 'Titan's Hand'."

Pausing in her tracks, she could send a glare towards the lad. Obviously, she thought, this wasn't just some regular player. If he knew of her identity, he's definitely a dangerous person. So that begs the question… Who is he?

"B-But Adam, her indicator is green!" Silica pointed out, surprised when Adam nodded to her statement.

"That may be so, but think about it like this. Orange guild? The leader may be green, but the others aren't," the lad explained, keeping his sight closely at the woman. "The green members lure their targets, the other players, into an ambush by the orange players."

"Last night, I gave a guy a run for his money. Eavesdropping, he was. One of your members, right?" His assumption was spot-on, as indicated by Rosalia's nodding.

"Hang on. If that's the case, then she partied with me, because…" Realisation dawning on her, her eyes widened in shock.

"Exactly, sweetie. I was assessing each party member's strength and waiting for them to grab the cash," Rosalia paused to lick her lips, sending a shrill down the younger girl's spine. "It's a pity, really, that my greatest prey left our party. And then, I caught news of you going after a rare item. And yet…" She turned to the lad this time, gripping her naginata in one hand and placing the other on her hip. "Even though you knew all that, you stuck close to her. And what for?"

"Silica, this is where my second reason comes in," at his statement, the younger girl perked up, ready to listen. "I had to follow you because I wanted to use you as a sort of bait for these dastards. I've been looking for them this whole time."

"And what do you mean by that?" Rosalia asked, curious with his next words.

"Don't even bother lying. You attacked a guild called the 'Silver Flags' ten days ago, didn't you?" Accusing one such as that would have been considered preposterous, but in Sword Art Online, that word doesn't exist. "You left the leader alive, and killed his four members."

"Of course, the ones without the money," she remembered, reminiscing to the time when she did indeed slit her blade across one of their throats.

"God, you're unbelievable… The leader literally came all the way to the plaza near the Teleport Gate at the front lines and begged, I tell you, for someone to avenge his friends. And yet… He never wanted you killed, but caught instead. Such mercy… Do you have any idea how he felt?" Barely concealing his anger, his teeth were already bared, and his knuckles turned white from his balling his fist too hard.

"Oh, do you really think I do..?" Rosalia mocked as she twirled her fringe, enraging the lad even more. "He's stupid if he took it seriously, then. Besides, we don't know if death here applies in the real world, too. And of course, you don't have the luxury to worry about others, now that your life is in threat."

*Snap.*

With a snap of her fingers, other members emerged from behind the trees, swords and maces already gripped in their hands. Even more emerged from the other side, wielding knives and bows and the like, smug grin present on their features.

"A-Adam! There's too many of them!" The girl informed the lad, surprised when the latter merely gave a nod. "Don't tell me you're going to fight them alone!"

That thought scared her beyond words, but it also disappointed her. How could she help, then? She's too weak to even do any good in the first place…

"Don't worry. Just keep a good distance away from them, and I'll deal with them," the lad replied with a reassuring grin and a thumbs up, as he unsheathed his iron blade. "Pleasure to meet you! The name's Adam!"

"A-Adam..?" One of the member repeated the name two more times, before the frightening truth dawned on him. "Black clothes… Wielding a sword without a shield… Oh damn, this must be the 'Black Swordsman', Rosalia..! He's survived in the front lines all by himself! He's part of the clearing group!"

"Clearing group?" Hearing that name surprised her, for Silica had never been told about that by him.

"As if someone from the clearing group would come all the way here!" Rosalia mocked, but her reassurance didn't do anything to quell the ever growing fear in the other members' hearts. "Come now, cut his body down and take everything he has!"

Briefly glancing at each other, they merely gave a bunch of nods before powering up their weapons and rushing towards the lad.

"Why do I have deal with these guys..?" Adam mused to himself, before raising his sword and—

*Chin!*

Drawing arcs and sweeping his blade around him, he parried the incoming sword swings, effectively parrying every attack. Whilst the others rushed him with even more attacks, it looked as if he wasn't even doing anything. His incredible speed was blinding, and no one could land a single hit on him.

That, is—

*Shing!*

"Hraa—Huh..?" One of the swordsmen managed to give a clear cut to the lad, but what was supposed to happen never did. Rather than actually cutting in the lad's body…

A black barrier had appeared over the lad's body, where the blade was supposed to meet.

It hadn't even been a minute, and everyone was already tired out. Huffing and panting as they kept their distances from the lad, the latter merely sighed in disappointment.

"Y'all actually thought you could take me on?" His tone was lazy, uncaring, and it managed to sting the men's pride. "You know… My client payed every penny he had just to get this," Adam began as he took out a teleport crystal. "This thing's supposed to warp its targets to the prison area, and I'm gonna' send you all there, whether you like it or not!"

"Hmph! Don't think we'll just comply with your demands, boy!" Rosalia mocked as she readied her naginata, gritting her teeth in slight fear. "And don't think that you'd be ok trying to hurt me, a green player! Your indicator would turn orange!"

"Oh, no. These aren't demands," Adam said, when suddenly—

*Boom!* *Chin!*

Rushing forward at his target at blinding speeds, he smacked the flat edge of his blade against the naginata, sending it far off into the air and away from them, proceeding to place the sharp end close to her throat.

"They're orders, straight from me. Plus, I'm a solo player," he spat at the woman as he glared upwards into her eyes. "I don't give a bullsh*t if I've gotta' go running around for a day or two as an orange player."

And they stood there, just like that—With Rosalia frozen in shock, and Adam pointing his blade at the woman's throat, ready to pierce through the skin at any slight movement. The members only dropped their weapons to the floor, the sound of metal clacking against the brick road.

'A-Amazing…' And of course, Silica stayed at her original position, visibly entranced by the great stunt the lad pulled off. Where others would have been mad at being used for such a dangerous operation, she couldn't help but feel…

Needed.

* * *

Later

"Sorry that I never said anything earlier. I was worried that I were to be straight with you, you'd get scared," the lad nervously apologised as he scratched the back of his head.

"It's alright," the girl reassured him as she shook her head. "You're a good person, and I'd trust you no matter what. You'd never let me get hurt in the first place, after all."

Smiling at her words, Adam felt a huge weight lifted off his shoulders, a happy sigh escaping him soon after.

"Are you leaving after this..?" Silica's words snapped the lad out of this thoughts. Hoping that it was a lie, her worries were ascertained as a frown grew on the lad's features.

"Unfortunately. I haven't been at the front lines for a good total of five days, now…" Apathy present in his voice, it took him a moment to calm himself.

"Man, the clearing group must be something, huh?" The girl asked as she tilted her head with a tiny grin. "No matter how long I train, I don't think I could ever join it."

"Of course you can," his sudden retort brought her out of her thoughts. "Games have it that the higher your level is, the stronger you are. What I have to say is that they're all lies. In this world, there are more important things than becoming strong."

His words confused her, but she allowed them to register in her head nonetheless.

"In any case," him speaking again once more gave her back her ability to focus, which she directed at him. "I should be leaving soon enough. It was great to meet you, and we'll—"

"WAIT!" Stopped by the girl's sudden outcry, the black haired lad merely blinked at her. "P-Please… I-I don't want you to leave yet…"

"Silica, God… I'm sorry, honestly, but I need to be back at the front lines. I'm not being there just for a holiday. I'm there to keep the people safe, and to set everyone free from this hell," his reasoning was valid, so much so that even she couldn't find a way to argue back.

And yet…

"No, not yet…" With renewed bravery pulsing through her veins, she was determined to see it through.

"What?" This definitely surprised Adam; she was never like that. "What do you—"

Silica knew she should have felt… something. Nervous, hesitant, maybe any doubts. And yet, here she was, and there was nothing to hold her back.

Eyes wide, Adam could feel the softness of her lips pressed against his, tasting that of sweets and fresh air. She stepped back this time, only an inch away, before pulling out her HUD—

*Pzzh!*

She watched as his jaw went agape, his mouth frozen in place as he stared transfixed at her figure, his eyes tracing her body, which acted as a balm on her heart.

Why was she keeping the distance? It was to give him a full view of her… She wanted this, needed this; for him to see every inch of her as she brought her hands down from her shoulders, down her 'gifts' and trailing down her stomach…

It took every ounce of willpower to restrain herself from jumping on him, as she finally slid her small-clothes down from her legs.

"W-What the f**k..?" Adam gasped, confused and excited at the same time, until the emotions became nothing more than a mix of substances. His eyes followed her movements; as she slid her small-clothes off from her and down her legs, finally stepping out of them aside and tossing them to one corner, slowly approaching and him and slipping down onto his lap. "Silica..?"

"I want this, Adam. I do… I just, when we were at Floria…" Sudden embarrassment running through her—for some reason—ceased her ability of speech.

"O-Oh…" It didn't take a genius to decipher what she said; the place was brimming with couples. 'So she wanted this, from seeing that?'

"So, will you, Adam..?" She asked after a while, eyes burning with greed and lust, as much as caring and worry. "You're not seeing someone else… Are you..?"

"I…" He didn't know what to say. Should he just confess? Or should he keep the truth in his heart, hoping that she wouldn't find out?

Time passed, and just as then, he found his answer.

"I am. My lover is a girl named Sachi, who comes from the 'Midnight Black Cats' guild," his words served to strike her heart, effectively drowning her spirits. "But… She told me that no matter where I go, I am to find women to love."

"W-Wait, what?" His sudden comeback shocked her very much. "Isn't that considered cheating?"

"I thought so too. God, I wanted to fight against her, to say that that's not what I want. But…" A tiny small grew on his face; it was warm, which served to thaw the girl's heart. "If that's what she wants, if she really is ok with it…" He clasped her hands in his, slowly blushing as he did so. "Will you let me be yours? Or you to me?"

"Ah..!" Gasping at his words, tears immediately fell from her eyes. Lowering her head to stop her sudden breaking-down, she could hear Adam apologising from above. It was so nice, that someone was sorry for hurting her—which isn't the case here—it was comforting.

Not bothering to answer, she complied to the fire inside her, which had already bursted. Hastily, she crashed her lips against his, hungry and greedy all the same.

"Then…" Pulling back after a while, he kept a true smile, calming her and making her desires stronger. "Let me take care of you, alright?"

This wasn't any of the dreamy affairs like she'd sometimes read about; her heart wasn't stolen by some stunning rogue, nor the kind prince. There was romance, for sure, but what clouded most of the situation was pure, wanton desire. She existed at that moment, when she had kissed his lips again, when she ran her hands up and down his length, when he finally buried himself inside her, as if it was for his pleasure. It was maddening, really, as if she was created to be his—her body and 'it' throbbed at the thought.

Like a piston, he rammed into her, picking up the pace and increasing the tempo. Faster and faster, he succeeded in drowning her in intense pleasure. He could see her eyes rolled back to the back of her head, her tongue hanging loosely from the corner of her mouth, drool dripping down and soaking the bed and comforters… It only fuelled his desires even more.

With his hands holding her by the hips with an ironclad grip, pressing her down and ramming his hips against hers, he made her his. But… She made herself his at first, of course, since she came to him first. There was mercy here and there, but other than that, it was everything she had hoped for. He was energetic, to say the least, but that only kept her awake. Gasping and moaning his name over and over again, Silica had already forgotten what everything was.

All that mattered, now, was them, here and now, enjoying the sensation of each other; with Adam feeling the tightness of her squeezing him out, and Silica feeling his length abusing her inner walls.

"GH-HAAA!"

"RraAAHH!"

She could feel it, twitching and throbbing and pulsing, for a moment. Before the climax suddenly, 'finally', appeared! With string after string of 'water' blasting through her, violently against her walls, instantly filling her until it was overflowing; too much until it flooded with just 'that', pouring out of her.

"Ughaaa… Mmhaa…" Her grip on the bedsheets was already over, and things were perfect. Even as her world exploded into a spectre of colours, and her grip over her consciousness were ripped away, as she could see spots dancing in front of her eyes.

* * *

 _The next day, he never left, yet. He was there, cradling the girl securely in his arms. The sheets were already discarded, but she never complained. His body warmth was enough to ward off the chilling air, and the scent down her legs were much better than the flower she sniffed the day before._

 _Leaving after she regained herself, he had confronted the same thing his first lover did; promise her that they'd meet again someday._

 _They would reunite in the real world, he swore, and that was enough to warm her heart. Her smile wasn't pretty. It was beautiful._


	5. Chapter 4

"Don't let me down!" - Speech

'You look familiar…' - Thoughts

" _The war was over."_ \- Flashback

*Whoosh!* *Tzzz!* - Sound effects

" **This isn't good!"** \- Tatl / Tael Speech

' **How in the world?'** \- Tatl / Tael Thoughts

* * *

'`Chapter 4: Bound by Words'`

 _An outgoing samurai and the black-cladded swordsman. They weren't necessarily the same, but despite the diversities here and there, they were made a great duo. Willing to step into the same battle of the other, they weren't just a bunch of soldiers._

 _Klein and Adam were more than allies, more than friends, even more than comrades. They were brothers._

 _Side by side, blade and blade, thrusting themselves into the flames of battle, their bonds were strong._

 _They trusted each other._

* * *

February 28th 2024, Floor 34

"Adam!"

"Klein?"

With the latter roaring and waving at his friend, and the former confused when his eyes landed upon a familiar person, both approached each other with a smile. They exchanged fist bumps when they got near.

"Dude, you're still alive!" The samurai quoted, a wide grin present on his features.

"Of course. I've still got a job at the front lines, so don't expect me to just abandon the job just yet," Adam cheekily said with a shrug, later proceeding to fold his arms behind back. "What about your guild? Doing good?"

"Oh, yeah! The rest are fine, just taking a break, is all," the samurai answered back, calm until an imaginary lightbulb popped above his head. "Oh, I forgot! Dude, I got news that you're in a relationship!"

"Kh..!" That comment hit way too close to home. "N-Now now, Klein! Think about it properly! I'm not the sort to attract attention, much less so a woman's!"

"Huh? What are you talking about? Have you not read the daily 'Aincrad Hot Stuffs' mag, yet?"

"Wait, what?" Adam, you should seriously stay updated with things about books. You eve forgot about the beginners' handbook. "What are you talking about? And how does that have anything to do with me?"

"So you haven't read it, ok. Here," Klein took out a magazine from his inventory, before passing it to his friend. The latter took it with his thanks, before reading the title.

'Aincrad Hot Stuffs

Total Hotties We'd Just Love!

Not for sale, but we want em'!'

Just the headlines were enough to force the lad to cringe. Though, what Klein said had perked the lad's interest, and so—with much determination and fear—he crossed dangerous territories.

Slowly peeling the pages open, he landed on one page, specifically about…

Him.

'Adam, The Black Swordsman!

Rank: #1'

"…" Blankly staring at the page, his eyes rapidly scanned the words, before proceeding to hand it back to his friend. He spoke up, but his voice was scarily blank. "Klein…"

"Y-Yeah?" It was unusual; never had Adam behaved like this. 'I'd need to keep a list of emotions about him…'

"Burn that magazine, and every one of those. I don't care how you'll do it, just do it," his orders were very cold; they were enough to send a chill down the samurai's spine. "All those things are lies… They people are being fed lies."

"B-But Adam! They're not wrong! Your height is what most women, even men, really want!" He didn't make that up; it was written in the magazine.

"Rrr…" Growling, Adam dropped to his knees, before thrusting his fists towards the earth. "Damn this world and its stupid lies!"

"Ehehe…" Klein stood there, nervous as his friend caused a commotion, the latter not even caring about the looks the people were giving him.

* * *

"So, is it true?" Klein asked, stopping from his previous task, which was eating his chicken sandwich. "Do you have a girlfriend or something?"

"I, uh…" Trying to hide it was useless, since he blew it the first time. Sighing, he confessed. "I-I do… But I," nervously scratching his head, Klein leaned closer to hear his next words. "I may or may not have done 'that' with two girls already…"

Eyes wide as saucers, and mouth already falling in an instant, Klein suddenly grabbed the lad's shoulders, later sending him into a daze from all the vigorous shaking.

"How could you do that?! That's called cheating!" Klein's statement were supposed to tear the lad's heart, but all the shaking tossed his brain here and there, so he couldn't think right.

"Waaiit! Let me explain!" Desperately pleading, Adam allowed himself to regain his ability to think from all the shaking, blinking to keep away the swirls.

"Go on. I'm listening," true to his word, as if he was literally practising bushido, he sat there at his place, patiently waiting for the younger boy to talk.

"O-Okay, okay…" Giving two smacks at the side of his head with the smooth part of his balled fist, he spoke up once more. "My first lover is Sachi from the 'Midnight Black Cats' guild."

"Wait, isn't that the first guild you joined?" Klein asked, to which the lad nodded.

"Indeed. I had planned to be hers, and only hers, but then…" Adam paused to recall her words. "She said that she didn't want me to be alone, so she told—No, pleaded, for me to love any other women that I would meet. I mean, it was crazy!"

Laughing almost sadly, ALMOST, Klein watched as the lad swept his hand across his hair.

"I mean, I just… I know that when you devote yourself to one person, you love that person with all your heart," Adam pointed out, sighing a moment later. "You don't include someone else, right?"

"Well, yeah. But in your case, seems to me that you've got yourself a harem," the samurai said, which ceased the lad from thinking.

"Wait, 'harem'? Klein, I don't need you to be making up words to make me feel better," the lad deadpanned, earning a 'Huh?' from the samurai as a response.

"You don't know what a harem is? It's, you know! When a guy has multiple women around him!" Klein explained, surprised that Adam never knew about this. "Though, it could always work the other way too. Just sayin'."

"Ah, I see…" This was enough to answer the older man's previous assumptions, leading to him sweat-dropping. "In any case, should I continue? Or just leave it there?"

"No, I want to hear the full story," Klein urged the lad to continue, fully interested to hear the rest of the details.

'Of course…' Adam had fully expected the samurai to choose the first option, but he complied anyways. "After Sachi told me that, I was slightly unsure. I never made any advancements, of course. However, on floor 35, I met the 'Dragon Tamer' Silica. You know her, right?"

"H-Hang on…" Catching up with what the lad was saying, the realisation forced his eyes wide upon with mixed shock and proud. "You did 'that' with her too?!"

"Y-Yeah…" Embarrassed to even admit, he couldn't rewind it now. Gasping at the confession, Klein looked down with slight disappointment.

"How are you so lucky..?" The maroon haired man asked himself with comical tears flowing down from his eyes, which forced the lad to chuckle a nervous one.

"Klein, I never wanted this. But now… Now that that's happened, I don't know what to do. What should I do?" Asking for his help, Klein tossed aside his previous melancholy, and entered into a state of focus.

"Hmm… Well, the girls must obviously love you a lot. Did you tell Silica of your relationship with this Sachi?" Seeing his friend nod to his question, he flashed a smile just as quick. "Then, there's that!"

"What? I need a definite answer, Klein. Not 'there's that!', you know?" Adam nervously sweat-dropped.

"The girls don't mind sharing you, so that's good, isn't it? Just love them as they have to you, and everything will be ok! Don't play favouritism, it'd just bring bad things," Klein advised. Despite sounding rather, 'unique'… Adam couldn't help but feel calmer.

"Are you sure? Anything could happen," Adam asked, worried all the same.

"Then, how about cutting it off with someone?" Klein suggested, which shook the lad to his core.

Cut off his relationship with them..? Never had that thought crossed his mind. Never… W-Was that the right thing? Should he gamble with his relationship, keeping the two girls bound to his side and possibly prepare to meet others, or finally let go of Silica, and keeping himself loyal to his first lover?

"H-Hey! I was just kidding! Really! I wasn't thinking that through," hearing the samurai's statement, Adam immediately snapped out of his trance and sent a glare towards his friend, effectively forcing him to flinch.

"I. Will. Not. Do. That," his words were dripping with poison, and he wasn't trying to hold back his anger. "Understood?"

"O-O-Of course, Adam! Seriously, calm down! I was just kidding!" Already pushing himself far away from the table, Klein raised his arms defensively in front of him.

Adam finally calmed down a moment later, much to the samurai's gratitude. He massaged his temples for a while, before handing over to Klein two pieces of paper.

"These are their pictures. Don't ask how I got them, just know that I'm showing you this is because I want you to at least know who they are, should you ever bump into them," Adam spoke as the papers were taken into Klein's hands.

"Ok, let's see here…" Pushing his lower lips forwards, he gave a few glances at the pictures. "Whoa, they really are pretty!"

"Yeah," that, Adam could agree on. His vision was focused at the sky, a smile growing on his features. "They're beautiful."

It was a strange feeling, he thought. They were far, yet he felt so warm just by thinking about them. Of their smiles, of the times when they'd hold his hand, when they kissed him.

When he'd plunge himself into them—

'God, no!' Hastily ending his thoughts there, Adam didn't need to be told that his mind suddenly took a turn for the wrong. The really, REALLY, wrong.

"Do you miss em'?" Adam turned to face his friend, who had a worried expression. "You shouldn't be at the front lines, mate. You should be having a good life with the girls while you still have time. It wouldn't be fair if they kept you there."

"And if I do leave, Klein, who will be there to take my place?" His counterargument was enough to freeze Klein, the latter begrudgingly huffing in annoyance.

"But, this shouldn't be fair… You should be free to be with them," Klein ranted, to which Adam decided to ignore. "They're basically your family now…"

Family.

That one word struck him harder than a dagger or a sword. Never had he the luxury to have people to be called his 'family'. He had lived his whole life alone. But then, that was then.

Now, he had friends. Tatl and Tael were great company, and they helped him immensely. And yet, they couldn't just be out in the open all the time, due to their fear for other humans, to which he respectfully granted some leniency.

But now, he had human friends. Klein, the soon-to-be samurai he met back at the starting town. Asuna, the girl who gave him the motivation to fight. Silica, who was there to show him the beauty of the world.

'Sachi…' And of couse, Sachi. The blue haired girl, gentle and kind, member of the 'Midnight Black Cats', who taught him how to love. She dedicated herself to make him happy, and he promised himself the same thing. How much had she done for him, he couldn't betray her ever.

Even that fateful night, when she pleaded for him to find other women to love, he so desperately wanted to say no. How much he wanted to leave it at that; with him hers, and her his.

But now… Because of her, he had made new connections. He met new people, and their bonds became tighter than any other bonds. No rope or chain could have a link as tight as his with the people.

'I am sinful…' Adam told himself for the thousandth time. No matter how many times his lovers would console him, that thought would cross his mind no matter what. Even if it was Sachi who told him that she wouldn't mind it, he'd hate himself. All the hatred he had, which was supposed to be directed onto others, were now placed solely on himself.

Of all the devils and lowlives in the world; the cheaters, the murderers, the thieves, the rapers, the kidnappers, the liars… He believed himself to be the lowest. If he had a rank, he'd be number one on the list. There was no doubt, he thought.

The game didn't matter much to him anymore. Now, all that mattered was keeping his loved ones safe and alive. He couldn't let them die now. He'd go through fire if he had to keep them alive. He didn't care of what he had to do; he'd do it. For Sachi, Klein, Asuna, Silica, for the players of Sword Art Online.

They didn't deserve this…

"Oi, Adam!"

"Eh?"

The raven haired lad's thoughts were abruptly ended when he finally traced the figure of a hand waving at him. Readjusting his sights, he could very well tell that it belonged to the samurai's, the latter having a confused and worried expression.

"Are you alright? You were zoning out, and I could see you gritting your teeth," was he? Adam didn't even notice it himself. He was about to excuse himself, when he was suddenly stopped by a sigh. "You don't need to think too hard about this. This Sachi girl said she was alright with all this. If so, just forget about it."

"Think about it from the positive way. If you weren't there to love them in the first place, who else would?" That question surprised Adam. Never once had that come to mind, and it surprised him that Klein had thought this far. "You're there to love them, and they love you back. They feel appreciated, needed, and that's more than enough."

"Damn, we've got a love doctor in the house," Adam jested, resulting in a light chuckle between the two.

"There we go! My friend's back to normal!" Klein jokingly commented, before placing a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. "No matter how rough the going gets, you can always rely on the people around you. Me, the people nearby, your lovers. Being dependent on others isn't always a bad thing, so don't keep your problems bottled up all the time, got it?"

"Yeah… Yeah, I got it," Adam nodded with a smile, standing from his seat, followed by the samurai. The two made their way to the exit, until—

*Tccch!*

"YEEEH!"

"HrrAAH!"

The shatter of glass, accompanied with the screaming of a woman and grunting of a man, forced the duo to stop in their tracks. Turning to the source of the voice, both could see a crowd of people keeping their distance away from a man, who was holding his dagger close to his hostage's throat.

"Come any closer, and y'all can kiss this lady's arse good day!" The brute barked at the people, a sadistic grin growing as he watched everyone move back. "Good dogs! All of you b*tches would make such good pets!"

"Oh, damn…" Right eye glowing blue, as gears turned in front of them, he scanned the threat. He was indeed high on his defence, but his downfall was his speed, which wasn't as great as the former. "He's a tank. He can take hits, but he won't be able to chase down a guy. What do we do?"

"Don't ask me. I've got no clue here…" Klein muttered back, eliciting a sigh from the lad.

"We'll need to be careful here, lest we risk losing the life of a civilian," Adam said. The real challenge here was getting the woman away from him. If that was accomplished, he'd be able to fight the brute without being held back.

'But should I kill him..?' Adam had promised himself that he'd never kill a person, but… There were exceptions to everything. Plus, he travelled the lands as a solo player, so going orange for a few days wouldn't really matter. 'Besides, I said it to Rosalia that day. But still…'

"I've got an idea," Adam finally spoke up, much to his friend's expectations. Klein leaned in, listening to the lad's whispers. His eyes widened, immediately pulling away. "That's the plan, got it?"

"O-Ok, if you say so…" The maroon haired man agreed to the plan, albeit hesitantly. Nodding, Adam ran off to the kitchen, making sure to stay silent the whole time.

'God, I'd better come out of this thing alive… I still haven't paid you back, Adam,' Klein thought to himself. He steeled himself, before stepping forward. "Oi!"

"Eh?" Facing the samurai, the grunt's face twisted into a mocking expression. "Eh? What's this we've got here? A lost piggy? What, you don't want to get gutted like your brothers?"

"Ha! If I'm a pig, then you're a boar!" Klein jested, eliciting a few chuckles from the crowd, which were immediately silenced from the death glare that the grunt was sending towards them.

"Think you're funny, huh?! Come on, I dare you! Show me what you've got!" The grunt roared back, his grip on the woman's wrist tightening.

"Oh, I won't be doing anything," Klein replied, before putting on a toothy grin—much to his nervousness. "I've got better things to do than waste it on you."

"..!" Feeling his pride shattered at the samurai's words, the grunt tossed his hostage onto the floor, before rushing towards the samurai with his teeth bated. "I'll kill you, you smug dastard!"

"Not gonna' happen!"

"Eh?!"

*Bam!*

"Gah!" Jumped by a figure, the grunt felt the brute force behind the fist slammed against his ribs. He was tossed backwards, flying, until—

*Bang!* *Thud!*

He finally crashed into the wall behind him, finally dropping to the floor. Just like that, he became unconscious, unable to do anything anymore.

"Orange player. Must have committed some problems before this," Adam pointed out to Klein, who had just stood beside his friend.

"Damn, that was some stunt you pulled off there!" Klein exclaimed with much surprise, though it held a sense of amazement behind the tone.

"Meh, it was alright. In any case, I'd better get going. Things seem to be difficult at the front lines since I left," Adam said, answered with a nod from his friend.

"In any case, you'd better come back alive, ya' hear?" His words were honest, and held a hint of worry. Of course, why wouldn't he?

Sword Art Online was filled with all sorts of players, and there were there were many. But the most dangerous ones are the ones that kill other players. Practising caution is important in this world, lest you lose your life to a dagger to the heart, or a sword splitting your head in half.

And knowing that someone was going all the way to be worried for his wellbeing, it acted as a sort of tranquillity.

"Of course," raising his fist, the samurai bumped his into the lad's. "I'm not going down. Not now, not ever."

* * *

That Night

"I hate myself," Adam muttered to himself, a tired sigh escaping him soon after.

After escaping the attention of the NPC's and the other players, Adam somehow found himself without a home. How? His home in floor 50 was left unchecked for so long, that they decided to take it away from him.

He'd have to get it back soon somehow.

So now, he was wandering around town, like a man who was searching for a cause. He did have one, but he'd be dead sleeping in the cold at night before he even reaches the front lines!

" **You alright, Adam?"** A familiar voice whispered to the lad, the latter shrugging in response.

"We just lost our house at floor 50, so now we've got nowhere to go to," Adam replied lazily. Whilst his tone may have had tried to play it cool—

" **WHAT?!"** It never seemed to work with the fairies, of course.

" **How did that happen? Who told you?"** While he very much hoped that this was just another of the lad's pranks or jests, Tatl pushed the lad for some answers.

"Argo the Rat told me. She said that we haven't been at home for so long, to the point where they decided to take it away. 'Others need that home more than you,' they said," Adam explained, another tired sigh escaping him afterwards as he rolled his eyes.

" **Damn those humans! This is why all humans are demonic!"** Tael ranted, before turning to face her human friend. **"Except you, of course. You're much different than them."**

"Yeah, thanks," though his tone was honest, she was obviously correct.

He was 'different' than them. If they were human… He wasn't.

" **H-Hey, I didn't mean it that way!"** The white fairy cried out, earning the lad's attention.

"What do you mean by that?" Playing it dumb failed here, for the fairies let out a hum of sadness. Knowing that his efforts were futile, he sighed once more. "Okay, I get it. I'm sorry, but really, I don't mind it."

Deciding to leave it there, the fairies reentered his hair. They had made it their usual spot to sleep in, since it was so comfortable. Now, they didn't need to worry about sleeping in his bags or anything.

" **In any case, do you have enough money to sleep at an inn?"** Tatl asked, his words slightly muffed from the lad's hair.

"I do. I just can't find the place. The town's surprisingly large," Adam replied, before stopping in his tracks. "Guys, sleep. There's someone here."

Taken by surprise at his words, the fairies complied, and kept themselves quiet.

"Weird, for a kid to be talking to himself," the figure off in the distance mocked.

"I don't need to be told that by a stalker and his gang of idiots," Adam retorted, keeping his right hand grasped over his blade's hilt.

*Tuk tuk tuk.*

"Hehe, you're pretty smart," the man began. Finally uncloaked by the shadows, Adam could very much tell that this man was an ex-member of—

"You were part of the 'Titan's Hand' guild," Adam pointed out, earning himself a snicker from everyone there.

"Yup. And you," the man pulled out a knife, before brandishing it towards the lad. "Are gonna' get yer'self gutted like a swine. Kill em', boys!"

"YEAH!"

"Oh, for God's sake…"

*Boom!*

With a roar of determination, the five other members rushed the lad, who only groaned, before they—

*Chin chin chin!*

Slicing and cutting and hacking away at the boy, each of their efforts weren't enough, for the lad was quicker than them. Grunting and huffing, they put in even more force into their strikes to break the lad's parries, but none of them succeeded.

*Zzzk!*

"Gah!" Adam thrusted his blade into one of the members, before kicking him for off in the distance. Back-pedalling to dodge another attack, he drew a wide arc upwards, effectively slicing one of the members' weapon in half, as well as his body.

'Not good enough, it seems…' Bringing his blade upwards to block one of the soldier's mace, he bashed the man's skull with the hilt of his sword, before dealing an axe kick to him.

Eyes narrowing into a glare, the lad allowed the other two members to rush him, before dealing a jab to their chests, thrusting his feet at theie heads and effectively knocking them out cold.

*Thud!*

"Gh..!" Watching all the other men drop like flies wretched his gut. It felt like a knife was violently twisting it around, and he felt sick. Despite this, he managed to find a slight amount of courage welling up inside him. "Y-You're gonna' get it, kid…"

"No he won't!"

"Eh?"

"Wait, what?"

*Bang!*

"Guh..!" Feeling his head smacked with something hard, his mind twirled into a dizzying array of things, before he finally dropped to the floor with a loud—

*Thud!*

"Wait…" Squinting his eyes, Adam finally managed to identify the stranger who saved him. "Klein..?"

* * *

Intruding was an act of wronging another, as it is defined as the entering of one's territory without permission. This would, of course, lead to arguments and fightings, and those two things can lead to other horrendous things, such as… Yeeaah, I don't know…

Which is something that our black haired protagonist feels, despite his good friend allowing said action.

Which, mind you, doesn't count as intruding anymore. It's just called 'being welcomed into one's home'.

"So, what would you like?" The samurai asked all the way from the kitchen, whilst the lad sat at the living room. "I've got tea and coffee."

"I'm ok with the tea. Thanks!" Adam roared back, not even peering his eyes away from the strange device that sat in front of him.

It was a box, that's for sure, but what perplexed him was the function of the box. It had something of a 'layer', and as he placed his hand onto the 'layer', it was cold. Solid. It felt like the glass from the windows, but softer.

The box on its own wasn't made of cupboard, but rather, some other strange component. It couldn't be stone, he thought, for it was softer than said material.

And the 'layer', that was the most exciting thing to him. It was projecting light! And much more, on the 'layer', there were people! The people were talking, and they seemed so small.

"Yo, Adam!" Said lad took his eyes away for a moment to take his cup of tea from the samurai, not forgetting to give his thanks, before he returned his attention to the box. Klein wondered, for a while, what exactly caught his attention, until he turned to look at the box. "Ah, so you're watching the news?"

"The news?" His question definitely seemed… odd.

"You know, the news! It's that program that tells you all there is that's going on and the like!" Klein answered, feeling surprised that the lad had no knowledge of this.

"What have you been doing all this time, sleeping under a rock?" The samurai jested.

"In case you're wondering, no," the lad retorted, eye twitching with annoyance. "I never slept under a rock. I've been sleeping in—"

…Where was it?

'Hang on a minute…' Where did he sleep all this time? Before he slept on beds, before he saw the day… Where did he sleep at?

"Meh, I don't care, really," the samurai excused the lad with a shrug, before taking his place on the couches behind him, sipping from his cup of hot coffee. "I keep getting this feeling as if you've got amnesia, but hey? Who am I to judge…"

Though it acted as words of comfort, Adam felt anything but that. He wondered again, for the tenth time…

Where did he sleep at before he laid on beds?

* * *

March 1st 2024, Floor 34

It was late in the evening, by the time that Adam had packed up all his belongings. He would need to leave soon, but not before he thanked the samurai for the hospitality.

It was nice, he told himself, to have spent the night with a friend. And he slept on a good bed this time. Inns were nice, and the people were kind, yes. But no one could deny that sleeping with your friend in his home or yours is anything like in the inn.

Any who, the lad decided to take arms and prepare the first meal of the day; breakfast. Cracking both knuckles, he moved to the closet to withdraw a knife.

'Sharp and polished… But he never uses it,' the lad thought with a snicker, before moving over to the strange metallic box that Klein called the 'fridge' to take the ingredients he needed.

'Six eggs, half a cup of milk, a quarter teaspoon salt, an eight a teaspoon of pepper, a cup of cheese, 3 quarter cups of zucchini, a quarter cup of red bell peppers, and two teaspoons of red onions…' Adam listed in his head, and a grin crossed his expression.

Not wasting a moment, he proceeded to ready the ingredients. He shredded the cheese, making sure that the dairy product wasn't hard or soft, just right. He chopped the zucchini, red bell pepper and onions, making sure that the layers weren't too big.

He walked to the metallic box Klein informed him was the oven. Quickly scanning recipe book, he turned a metal knob, setting it to 350 fahrenheit. Seeing orange lighting up the inside of the oven, he moved to the next step.

He began cracking the eggs into a medium bowl, before beating them with the milk, salt and pepper. Ensuring that it was well-blended, he added the other ingredients, and mixed until all of them turned into a good mix.

Taking out strange paper things Klein called the 'muffin cups', Adam filled each one of them with the mix, ensuring that it was only up to a quarter of a cup.

Satisfied with his work, he moved all the filled muffin cups into oven. He set the knob to 350 fahrenheit once more, and leaving it to bake for twenty minutes.

"Hhuuaagh..!" Hearing the sound of footsteps eighteen minutes later, accompanied with the loud yawning of a person, Adam turned to the source of the voice. His eyebrow cocked at the sight before him.

"Whoa, you look," he wasn't going to lie. "Like crap."

He wasn't lying, of course. With his hair a tangled mess, accompanied with how his night trousers were threatening to drop down, he looked unkept. Messy and wild.

"Whatever you sa—Hhhaagh… Say, Adam…" The samurai answered back, lazily and tiredly, as he took his seat at the dining table.

"Well, just wait there, buddy," the lad assured the samurai with a nod. "The things are supposed to be done, just about—"

*Ting!*

"Now," he happily chirped, before opening the oven door and taking out the tray of muffin cups. He set them down onto a wire rack, taking a step back soon after. "Now, we wait for five minutes."

…

"Delicious!" Klein roared as he sinked his teeth into another of the egg muffins.

"Be patient, mate. There's still six more," Adam reminded the samurai as he took a spoonful of the muffin. "Plus, you already ate four of them. You still hungry after all that?"

"Dude, you have no idea! These are really good!" He replied, not even caring that he was looking like a glutton right now. He burped, before moving to the next one, not even noticing the fact that Adam sweat-dropped.

"Five more. I'm impressed, really. This is only my second one, and you're already having your seventh," Adam whistled to himself.

Watching his friend eating from the opposite of the dining table, it felt… Nice. Having a friend now, it was amazing. He now had someone to comment on his dish, and the compliments made him feel great.

Tatl and Tael couldn't eat his food. All they do is drink water and eat air. No joke.

"Three more," Adam sweat-dropped at the sight before him. Klein just finished seven muffins, and he only two. "Welp, I'll take one, if you don't mind.

* * *

Evening

"Well then," Klein began, as he watched Adam sling his bag over his shoulder. "Make sure you come back alive, eh?"

"Of course. I can't just be dead now," Adam jested back. "Also, thanks for letting me sleep over."

"No problem! Better than sleeping in an inn, eh?" the maroon haired man joked back, and the two shared a light laughter after that.

"Without doubt! Well, it's been great," the lad said as he exchanged a fist bump with the samurai, the latter more than happy to do so. "See ya."

"Come back alive!" Klein roared at the top of his lungs, watching the lad disappear down the road of the town. 'I'm not gonna' accept you dying on me, Adam… Don't even think about it!'

* * *

 _They were brothers, and their bonds kept each of them alive over the times._

 _Adam, the Black Swordsman whose skills in the art of swordsmanship was enough to topple an army._

 _And Klein, the outgoing samurai whose bright smiles and hearty laughings acted as the ray of light in the darkness._

 _Together, they fought against the challenges that were to come as one, and that served not as their downfall. Their bonds were their strength, and their blades were one._


	6. Chapter 5

"Don't let me down!" - Speech

'You look familiar…' - Thoughts

" _The war was over."_ \- Flashback

*Whoosh!* *Tzzz!* - Sound effects

" **This isn't good!"** \- Tatl / Tael Speech

' **How in the world?'** \- Tatl / Tael Thoughts

* * *

'`Chapter 5: The Blade that Defends'`

 _When it came to life-and-death situations, he would strive to keep everyone safe._

 _The challenges kept coming one after another, but he managed to come out the victor. It wasn't by chance, but it was indeed his own efforts, and his desire, that kept the people alive._

 _And when one would dare to defy him, to sacrifice a man, woman or child to win the battle, he would step up._

 _Where he would usually give others the choice… When it came to saving another's life, just as his first lover had saved his, he would give himself every tactical advantage he could think of._

* * *

March 6th 2024, Floor 56—Pani

Pani was an interesting village, Adam thought. Of all the villages that he had travelled to, which looked somewhat similar to the last one with their wooden houses and towering forests, Pani was anything but that.

The people were like ants, considering the fact that the house they lived in were built from stone. Pani was a village located in a mountainous region, and was surrounded by an unbreakable barrier, which was made of wooden stakes. And everyone's target was the west, where the Labyrinth is located. There, lies an unbreakable wooden gate, which led to the Field Boss Geocrawler.

And as such, the top players, including the strongest guild 'Knights of Blood', held a conjoined meeting, discussing about the strategies on how to defeat the Field Boss.

Although…

"Klein..!" Adam whispered to the nervous-smiling samurai, much chagrin present in his tone of voice. "You never told me that you'd be here, you butt..!"

"I'm sorry..! I forgot," Klein whispered back, nervously chuckling as the swordsman sent a glare towards his way.

And of course, off in the distance, Adam could see Agil, the same mace-wielding giant who was an expert in craftsmanship. The man gave a friendly nod at the lad, to which the latter responded with his own.

*Bang!*

"Woah…" Everyone jumped at the sudden impact at the large table in the centre, their attention diverted at the 'Knights of Blood' vice commander, Asuna.

"We'll lure the Field Boss into the village," she declared. People broke out into murmurings and mutters, but Adam…

"H-Hang on now," Adam began as he stepped forward, earning him the attention of everyone in the room. "You don't mean we're gonna' let em' kill the villagers..?"

"Indeed. That is our aim," Asuna replied, sending a chill down the lad's spine. "While the boss is occupied with killing the NPC's, we'll strike it down there."

'W-What the hell?' Blinking in disbelief with what she way saying, he cried out. "You can't be serious! Sure, they're not humans like you or anyone else here," no one seemed to take notice that he never mentioned himself. "But they're still living things! They're not like trees or rocks, a bunch of data!"

"Seriously, is that it?" Her cold retort was enough to freeze the lad in his track of words. "The NPC's aren't anyone special. You know that. Besides, even if they get themselves killed, they'll just re-spawn."

"I-I…" It was terrible! Thinking that way was unacceptable, even to him. "It makes sense, yes! But still, that's messed up. You can't possibly be thinking on pulling that stunt off…"

Utterly tired from the lad's constant arguments, the swords-woman stood straight, sending a cold glare towards his way.

"I am Asuna, the Vice Commander of the 'Knights of Blood', and I have been assigned to lead this mission. Remember your place. You'll just need to obey to my orders," the girl coldly stated, not bothering to put up with any of his words. Her glare was horrifying, he believed, and things weren't seriously being great for him.

* * *

"Adam!"

"E-Eh—Gah!"

*Thud!*

"Adam, it's so good to see you again!" Having the air knocked out of him, the lad looked down, now seeing a familiar face.

"S-Silica?" He was honestly surprised, to see that the girl who underestimated herself was now part of the clearing group.

"Mmhm! I finally get to be part of the clearing group! Isn't that great?" The girl chirped, beaming at her lover with a wide smile.

"O-Of course…" Adam softly replied with a nervous chuckle.

"Adam..?"

"Ye—"

Gasping at another familiar face, the lad unconsciously, but gently, pushed the girl off him. There, off in the distance, stood the same bluenette that taught him how to love.

"S-Sachi…" He whispered her name, not even noticing that she was closing the distance between them to pull him into an embrace.

"Adam…" She whispered his name, smiling and slightly sobbing—albeit in joy, of course—at having to be reunited with her lover, after so long. Feeling his arms pull her in tighter only acted as a balm on her heart.

"Oh! So this must be Sachi!" Silica, not bothering with the current mood, added.

"A-Ah!" Embarrassed with the current situation, he gently pushed Sachi off him, before flashing the chestnut haired girl a nervous smile. "Y-Yeah, this is Sachi. Sachi, this is Silica. I met her in Floria."

"Pleasure to meet you."

"Same here!"

'Seems to be ok…' Adam thought with a smile as he watched his lovers shake hands. There wasn't any distaste between them as he initially thought, but rather, warmth of acceptance.

"So," the lad looked to his first lover, who had her index finger on her chin, and a cheeky smile. "You actually managed to find another person to love, huh?"

"I-I…" Lacking any words to say, he sighed in defeat. Silica, on the other hand, stepped in.

"H-He didn't do anything! I was the one that made the first move on him, I swear!" She admitted, only adding to the blush that had painted Adam's face.

"Ahh! This is so embarrassing..!" Adam cried out with his face planted in his hands, embarrassment fuelling even more when his lovers chuckled at his behaviour.

"Yo, Adam!" Great, more people to explain things to. "What happe—Eh?"

"Adam, that weird guy over there is calling you," Silica informed the lad, resulting in Klein entering a coughing fit, albeit for a moment.

"I-I am not weird! I am a samurai!" The older man said, eliciting an amazed gasp from the chestnut haired girl.

"Really?" She asked in breaths, amazed even more when she earned a nod from the samurai. "Adam! I never knew you were friends with a samurai!"

"Yeah… In any case, his name is Klein. Klein, these are my lovers that I told you about, Sachi and Silica," the lad said as the girls shook hands with the samurai.

"Damn! You're so lucky, dude! To have two girls already, I can't even hope to get one!" The samurai jested, sharing a laughter with the two girls.

"Adam has two lovers?" A familiar, deep voice said, resulting in—

"YAaAH!" The lad in question jumping a good feet away in fright, blinking in surprise and finally sighing when it was just Agil. "God, man! You scared me there!"

"Sorry about that," the merchant said back, an honest smile etched onto his face. "But really, is it true? Of what I just heard?"

"Indeed," this time, it was Sachi who spoke up, noticing that her lover was tired of speaking any longer. She pulled his arm to her chest, hugging it as if it was a lifeline. "My name is Sachi. Pleased to meet you."

"And I'm Silica!" Adam's second lover added, mirroring his first lover's actions. She pulled his other arm into an embrace, smiling all the while.

"Huh. You never told me anything about this," Agil said with much surprise in his tone of voice, accompanied with the slight widening of his eyes.

"Y-Yeah… I thought it was unnecessary," the lad said back, until—

*Twee!*

"Aah!"

"You should never keep this sort of thing a secret, Adam."

"Yeah! It's rude!"

Being scolded by his lovers as they pulled on his cheeks, he could only force out apologies. He finally sighed in relief when they finally let go, rubbing his pained cheeks as he muttered apologies to the parts.

"In any case, Adam," the lad glanced upwards to face the mace wielder. "That was another quarrel. Why's that always happen?"

"I don't know..! Cause' we think differently, I guess," Adam reasoned.

It made sense, after all. Asuna was the type to focus on her mission, on her objectives. She would do anything to succeed in her missions, and as such, she would be deemed a conqueror.

Adam, on the other hand, was one who always made sure that the risks were as low as they could be, even zero if possible. He always made sure to keep everyone safe, but if it were at the risk of his safety? He didn't care about that. He was a tactician in a case.

"Damn… I can't believe that she joined the strongest guild there is," the lad wondered out loud. "Plus, she's now a floor-clearing demon, so that's that."

"Man, I have a feeling that this isn't the last time you'll argue with her," Klein jested, earning himself a nod from the lad.

"Well, it's best we get some rest. Things won't be easy soon enough," Agil suggested, earning him multiple 'Yes' from the players.

* * *

Later

"Damn it…" Adam cursed to himself, feeling rather embarrassed that he caused a scene. Again.

And this wasn't gonna' be the last time that would happen. He knew it, since this was already the ninth time. The other times? He forgot…

Truth be told, he had devised a plan with Klein, at the last minute, to bait GeoCrawler with an A-ranked meat. However, that failed, so that's that…

"Hey, mister!" The lad stopped in his tracks, when a feminine voice called for him. "Down here!"

Following the voice's instructions, he looked down, until his eyes landed on a purple haired girl, wearing a bright red bow to tie her hair into a ponytail, and a green simple outfit.

"Y-Yes?" He asked, wondering as to what business she had with him.

"My name is Ruru!" The girl introduced herself with a smile.

"A-Adam," the lad said back.

"I heard you're planning to beat the bad monster here," she said. "Is it true?"

"Ah, of course. See, we're trying to find a way on how to beat the bad monster," Adam replied, but kept the plan Asuna had devised earlier a secret from her.

"Oh, I know how!" She chirped, earning herself a questionable stare from the lad.

"Really? Please, do tell. It may be useful," Adam urged her. 'She might have something better than to lure the boss into the village…'

"And it indeed is!" She said, and her response came as a surprise. "You've just got to sing to it!"

"S-Sing?" Of all the things that he was prepared to hear, singing wasn't any of it. "Pray tell, what do you mean by 'singing'?"

"Yup! You just have to sing to it a song!" Ruru said.

"Ok…" Adam was rather skeptical with her plan, but he decided to follow. "How does the song go?"

* * *

' _Why…' Adam asked himself for the umpteenth time. 'Why did this happen..?'_

 _The lad had obeyed the lady's commands, and took part in the battle. But, it was horrible… The fires were spreading, and the buildings were quickly being incinerated._

 _But it was the people that scared him. Every now and then, he rushed to their safety, ignoring the battle. He was one of the strongest, and yet… He would sometimes fail, and all he could do was watch as their body gets ripped apart by the monsters' blades, bleeding dry and lifeless._

 _Gritting his teeth, he rushed forwards, before—_

 _*Ching!* *Zzzk!*_

 _Parrying a sword blow of a lizard monster, and dealing his own downwards slash. The blade cut through the beast, finally sending it to its death zone._

" _Everyone, get to safety! I'll hold them off until then! Now go!" Adam roared, not bothering to watch as the NPC's ran off in the opposite direction of where he looked._

" _Thank you…" The words so common when you did them a favour. And yet, boring as it may sound, it was a comforting thing, to know that someone appreciated what you did._

 _*Bam!*_

" _Gh..!" Adam joined the fray once more, slamming his blade's hilt into the jaw of another beast, before sending it flying with a powerful kick. Dodging an attack, he rushed his opponent, sending a flurry of sword thrusts in its way, poking holes in its soft body before leaving it to pixelate._

 _*Thud!*_

" _Ah!"_

" _Damn you!"_

 _Off in the distance, there were two people injured. Silica was doing well fending off a 'Killer Mantis', but things took a turn when she was pushed back into a wall._

 _Another person, Agil, was being knocked down by a 'Drunk Ape', and it seemed that he wasn't doing pretty high either._

' _Damn it…' What should he do? Agil was low on health, and Silica could get killed in a single shot… Was this the end..?_

 _*Zzzk!* *Bang!*_

" _Hah..!"_

" _Gh…"_

" _..!"_

 _The lad watched, frozen in place, as the 'Killer Mantis' dug its scythe through Silica' chest, ripping the flesh and cloth apart, with the red wound present on her body._

 _Agil was bludgeoned by the 'Drunk Ape' one last time, this time to the head, and it was terrible. His health bar turned to zero, and then—_

 _*Ccch!*_

 _The two vaporised into nothing but pixels, now flying off into the sky. Adam fell to his knees, mouth agape in horror as his lover and close friend died before his eyes._

* * *

The Next Day

*Fwu!*

"Gah!" The lad roared from his sleep.

Rising into a sitting position, his eyes wide in shock, his breathing was uneven. Was that a dream… No, it was. Definitely. He just woke up from a nightmare, is all.

Scanning the area, he now remembered that he was sleeping in one of the village houses. The room smelled fresh, due to the breath of wind flowing into his room from the open window. The bed he had been sleeping on was comfortable, soft and everything great.

But he…

Clutching his face with one hand, he tried to steady his breath. He gulped some saliva, and continued breathing once more.

"No…" The nightmare was horrendous, vivid… "T-That can't happen…"

" **Adam?"** The familiar voice of his fairy friend snapped him out of his previous fear, but his heart still felt heavy. **"Are you alright? You woke up screaming."**

"I-I…" He couldn't keep it a secret. Tatl and Tael were one of his closest friends, so why keep it bottled up, when they could probably help him out. "I had a nightmare. It had to do with Asuna's plan to lure the Field Boss into the village. I… I saw Agil and Silica die."

" **So it wasn't a vision?"** Tatl asked, sounding rather worried with what his human friend had just said.

"N-No, this was just a simple dream…" Adam reassured the fairy.

You heard me right, dear readers. Adam has the ability to catch glimpses of the future, but this never happens when he's sleeping, though. It helped them immensely many times already, and he had already shared knowledge of this ability with Tatl and Tael, so it was understandable that they'd ask him that first.

"I have to find Asuna," the lad suddenly spoke, before turning his head to face Tael. "Do you know where she is?"

" **She's in that one stone house where you guys planned your strategies at yesterday,"** Tael informed the lad, before she and her brother entered his hair once again.

It's comfortable, so deal with it!

Adam ran out of his room, not bothering to cook up breakfast. He left the comforts of the house he was sharing—with Ruru, since she pleaded that he'd stay.

Breaking into a run as soon as he was out of the house, he reached his destination not even a minute later.

"Excuse me!" He called out, pleased to know that Asuna came out of the house an instant later.

"What is it?" She asked, eyebrow cocked upwards.

"I have another plan, and this will definitely work!" Adam beamed at her, not noticing the confused looks the others were giving to him and each other. "We wouldn't need to lure the Field Boss into the village at all!"

"I doubt that. Your plan earlier didn't help, so why should I count on your words this time?" She asked, rather coldly. Strangely enough, it never did seem to bother the lad.

" **Cocky witch…"** Tael whispered to herself with much loathing…

"Because, Asuna, you don't have the necessary smarts to carry out the plan," Adam proudly mocked with his arms crossed.

"Excuse me..?" She didn't seem to take that very nicely, apparently.

"I've never been one to lie, so yeah! I have very high doubts that this strategy, if it can even be called one that is, will actually succeed," he finally said with a triumphant smile.

"Oh?" Stepping forward with an aura of hatred cloaking her, everyone stepped away to avoid her. "So what are you going to do about it? Don't forget, that I am—"

"I challenge you to a duel!" The swordsman roared.

At that moment, everyone stood, breathless. Well… They were breathing, of course. Rather, they just didn't talk, is all.

"Hmph," it wasn't even a minute later, when Asuna spoke up once more. "Very well, I accept your challenge."

"Great! Then let's have it," Adam said, as he popped open a HUD and sent a duel invitation to the swords-woman.

Not even saying a word, she accepted the challenge. A countdown appeared over them, going from ten to zero.

The lad had to be prepared for the worst, considering the fact that she is now a powerful opponent. But, it wasn't the strength that was important here. Rather, it was to keep a knowledge about himself hidden. One that he wasn't prepared to just give to the masses yet…

"Zero!" The countdown yelled.

*Boom!*

"Ha!"

"Damn!"

With a spring in her step, she leapt forward, her blade powered up, and—

*Chin!*

"Slow down!" Adam pleaded as he brought up his sword to parry her rapier. Had he been slower than that, she would have nicked his cheek, or something.

Saying nothing, his opponent swept her blade in multiple arcs, close to scratch him, but she wasn't fast enough. She clicked her tongue, trying her best to keep up with his amazing speed, but he was just better.

"Or not," the Black Swordsman sweat-dropped. Knowing that Asuna wasn't going to let this go until she won, he went on the offensive. Parrying the girl's blade, he brought up his sword, before thrusting it downwards.

*Ching!*

"Hh!"

"Whoo!"

Asuna was open! Finding the opportunity to strike back, he—

*Bang!*

"Gah!" Slammed his head towards her chest! Knocking the air out of her, he managed to send her away a good distance. She managed to catch herself before she dropped to the ground, using her rapier as a sort of leverage.

"Ow!" Off in the distance, Adam was clutching his head, visibly crying out in pain. "Damn it! I am never doing that again!"

'H-How..?' Her health was nicked, but his was alright! He managed to regain himself after a while, and he readied his blade once more. Mirroring his movement, she brandished her rapier in his direction. 'I can't lose to him..!'

"Haah!" Tossing herself forwards once more, she powered up her blade, before sending a flurry of thrusts in his way.

*Ching! Ching! Ching!*

Eyes wide in surprise, Asuna could only watch as each and every of her sword thrusts were either blocked, parried or plain-out avoided by the swordsman. The latter wasn't even attacking back, even, and the thought of him looking down her infuriated her.

"Hraa!" She dragged her rapier in an arc in his way, close enough to slice him, but she was slow nonetheless. Adam dodged that attack, and the next, and the next…

What is he? That thought crossed her mind, but her focus was still kept on attacking him. And yet, each of her efforts proved to be futile. She was barely hitting him, let alone hurting him, and it was embarrassing! The people around them were watching them, and what would they say if they found out that the Vice Commander of the 'Knights of Blood' was unable to defeat a regular player?

Lost in her thoughts, Asuna was unable to block the lad's attack, as he twisted his body to deal—

*Bang!*

"Gah!" A kick to her side, sending her flying to her right. She skidded by a bit, and she stopped face-down.

She stood back up, clothes dirtied by the earth, sending a glare at the lad. Gritting her teeth, she powered up her rapier, and was ready to attack again, until—

"You know, you should stop doing that," the lad suddenly said, stopping her from doing anything. "You keep doing the same thing, that I don't even need my visions to predict your movements."

"W-What?" Unable to believe what she was hearing, she stammered. He predicted her movements all this time? "N-No, there's no way…"

"Seriously, it's like you're following some sort of instructions," Adam teased, before flicking each finger with his right pointer finger. "First, you power up your rapier. Next, you thrust at your opponent. And, well… the next ones, I don't need to say anything."

Watching him list down her strategies, she felt… disappointed. Did he seriously just learn her attack patterns, just from these few battles?

"Oh, but don't feel so bad about it! You even did that in the first raid we participated that time, so yeah!" Seriously? He remembered from even years ago? That isn't fair! "In any case, try spicing it up a bit! Like me! You never expected me to headbutt you, right?"

He wasn't wrong there; she wasn't expecting him to pull off that attack. Pride shattered slightly, she prepared her next attack, thinking of her next movement with her eyes closed. She couldn't just do what she did just earlier; it'd just fail.

She reopened her closed eyes, already having her strategy planned. She was prepared to win.

She didn't power up her blade, but ran towards her opponent. Speed was always her strength, so she used the 'Twister' strategy.

*Krrh!*

Not noticing the fact that Adam's right eye glowed blue, with a gear spinning in front of it, she ran in circles around the lad, hoping that he wouldn't be able to catch up with her movement. Everyone watched in anticipation and excitement, fully expecting that the Vice Commander of the 'Knights of Blood' would emerge victorious.

However, it wouldn't be crazy to say everything went Adam's way.

He had fully anticipated for the attack. As such, he was beyond prepared. Already having his sword readied, he brought it to his side, and what happened—

*Khh!* *Fwoo!*

"Hiyaaa!"

"Wh—Khaa!"

Had been unexpected! The lad had released himself into a vigorous spin, revolving on the spot in multiple circumferences. The blade, powered up, was extended of its reach and strength, allowing him full access of Asuna, all the while dealing powerful cuts to her.

*Cha!* *Thud!*

"Gah!" With the attack finally over, the blade released gusts of wind, knocking her away enough to send her crashing into a building. The walls never broke down, but everyone were able to see, very clearly, that her health had dropped down to the red. She was definitely in a bad situation. One more strike—

And she'd be no more.

"Oh, fudge…" The lad grimaced at the sight of the swords-woman, guilt visible in his features as he glanced at his downed opponent.

He had always been such a strong swordsman, to the point where many had doubts that any others could have matched his skill. And yet… He'd never thought it, it'd be this bad!

Wincing in pain, she forced herself to be steady as she rose to her feet, but it proved to be a challenge all the same. Pain surging through her flesh and body, she was quick to drop forwards—

*Thud!*

"I'm sorry…"

"A-Adam..?"

And into the arms of the man she fell for. Figuratively and literary.

* * *

"I didn't mean for any of this to happen, I swear…" Adam muttered, face scrunched up in a pained expression each time a wince escaped the girl.

"I-I, it's alright… Really, it was a duel. What'd you expect?" Her try at lightening the mood was only washed away by the next wincing, which only served to sting the lad even more. "In any case," she began, after the pain finally disappeared. "You were the one who won here, so I will follow your word. What will you have us do?"

"Eh?" Blinking at her, he didn't understand what she meant, albeit for a while. "Oh! The strategy, yes! Right, I uh… There's a girl, an NPC, who I met earlier. She showed me the method of killing GeoCrawler the easiest way!"

"Huh?" Her ears weren't deceiving her, and if what he said was true…

After a moment of thinking, wondering if she would be in her right mind to trust the words of the lad, who got his supposed 'strategy' from an NPC girl. Pondering on the thought, she couldn't help but feel… secure?

It was an unexplainable feeling, but it was one that she always had every time he came up with a tactic. And it only felt bigger every time he flashed one of his victory smiles, when his tactics begin to go his way.

Was this what she wanted?

"… Very well," she finally answered, turning to face him with a serious tone. "But if your strategy doesn't work, we are luring him in. Do you understand?"

"Ha!" He accepted the challenge long ago, and he was sure as hell that he wasn't going to back down now! "You can count on me, Lady Asuna! I'll give em' a run for their money!"

Watching him speaking so confidently, and with him smirking so visibly, she couldn't help but pop open her own smile. To trust him, it wasn't a mistake.

It was a virtue.

* * *

Two Days Later

"You're going already, Adam?" Ruru asked, looking rather worried.

"Of course," he reassured her with a nod and smile. "You gave your time to sing me that song, and I'll put it to good use. After this, never do you ever need to worry about the beast disturbing your village."

"B-But still…" She trusts him! She does! But, would it be so wrong, to put everything into account?

"I'm not gonna' die in this battle, Ruru," Adam told her, bringing her out of her thoughts. "I can't just say my peace while the others are off fighting in the fields. That just wouldn't be fair!"

"So, trust me when I say this," placing his hand onto her head, he began ruffling her hair. "I will come back out of here alive. No matter what!"

"Adam…" Muttering his name just once was enough to put trust in her heart; trust that he would keep to his word. Finally, she nodded, and a hopeful expression crossed her face. "Promise?"

"There will be nothing to break that promise," the lad replied, sounding rather sure with himself, before he made his way out of the house.

'I can do this,' he thought to himself, all the more prepared to change the flow of fate. 'I won't let anyone die… Not you, Asuna, or the people..!'

* * *

He felt giddy, he noticed. Arriving at the planning house, it was rather… Scary. He never noticed it; up until now, he had merely been there to listen to what strategies the people were putting together.

This time, however, it was his strategy that they'd put their faiths in. HIS. No other's, but his own. Well… He was about to inform them of the truth, by telling them about Ruru, but… She's an NPC, so she can be excused there.

Stepping in front of the building, he exhaled a breath of mixed relief and worry. Relieved that they would discard the tactic that As—Lady Asuna had suggested. Worried that his tactic, what Ruru told him, would backfire, and that would only lead to the plan Lady Asuna had suggested earlier to be used.

Death was what everyone and everything feared, no matter how strong willed they were. The bravest of the brave would cower at the sight of Death's door, so why bother questioning their sanity? Adam himself feared not death, but having to lose his loved ones to it. And as such…

'Ok, I got this!' The lad reassured himself once more, nodding a silent nod, before—with shaky steps—walking into the building.

A breath of relief escaped him when everyone were all focused on their own businesses. All except one, that is…

"Adam."

"R-Rwah!"

Jumping away at the sudden calling of someone else, the black cladded swordsman finally let out a sigh when the person was none other than Asuna, Vice Commander of the Knights of Blood.

"You're here to give us our new strategy, are you not?" Perking at her question, he finally nodded with a confident expression, before moving to the table.

"Ahem," clearing his throat once was more than enough to catch everyone's attention, causing him to flinch at suddenly being in the spotlight. Still, he continued. "R-Right. Morning, everyone. I am Adam, and I, uh…"

The lad tugged at his collar, visibly sweating already from all the attention.

"In any case, all of you have been called here so that I may share with you one of my tactics which, I believe, will undoubtedly assure us victory against GeoCrawler," the lad voiced out, earning questionable, curious, doubtful and surprised looks from the people in the room.

"So, what will be our plan of action?" Asuna inquired.

"Well then, as As—LADY Asuna have been told earlier," he corrected himself, not noticing the sudden clicking of the lass's tongue. "I have met an NPC girl earlier, who have been very generous in sharing her knowledge with me. And as such, the method we shall use to defeat the Field Boss… Is to sing."

…

Nobody seemed to speak a word. Silence etched itself into the room, only for—

"WHAT?!"

"Eh..?"

Everything to go off with a bam!

"You can't be serious! / Are you kidding us?! / If you don't want to take us seriously, get out of here!" Many of the men in the room were in at outrage! How could someone suggest such thing? It was preposterous!

"P-Peace, please!" The lad shakily called out to the people, and—eye twitching—seeing that none of the noise died down, he let out a shrill of rage. "I said SHUT UP!"

Everyone flinched from the sudden burst, from HIM of all people! They blinked at him, some feeling rather terrified at the lad. He could tell, just from short glances, that two or three men had unconsciously taken a step back. Faking a huff of annoyance, he continued.

"First off, I understand why you found this maddening. Indeed, had I done no research, I would've been putting on the same shoes as all of you," the lad spoke out, mentally pleased to see that there was nobody planning to disturb him. "And as such, the lyrics behind the song indeed has the power to quell the beast. This will force it into a sleeping status, allowing all of us to easily kill it."

"And do you think the girl is right?" One of the soldiers asked.

"Like I said, I would have thought this plan was stupid if I didn't research on it earlier," Adam retold the soldier. Having heard this, the latter piped down. "In any case, I will play the song. The rest of you will wait on my command. Got it?"

"RIGHT!" Everyone roared back in full enthusiasm.

'I won't let this game take away these people's lives,' the lad thought to himself, with renewed determination pulsing through his veins and capillaries. 'I will change fate… No matter what!'

* * *

That Night

Patience is a virtue. It was such a common phrase, that it became a practice all round the lands and beyond. And it wasn't a lie at all. It was one of the 'Seven Heavenly Virtues', and it served as the counterpart of Wrath.

'This is taking too long..!' Adam was anything but patient right now.

The clearing group had finally sent out an assault at the Field Boss. They waited right outside the beast's den, awaiting for the worst to come, but…

' **Don't tell us…'**

' **That it's not home…'**

The fairies sweat dropped at their thoughts, disappointed that they had spent the last hour waiting, for NOTHING!

*Cshsh!*

Ears perked at the sudden of rustling off in the distance, Adam scanned the area. With the usual process—his right eye glowing blue, with a gear turning in front of it—he looked around the area, until—

*Krroro!*

"There it is!" Gritting his teeth, he stood from his crouching position, now standing directly a few feet away from his target.

'Ok, I can do this..!' Trying to keep himself calm, as well as motivated at the same time, proved to be somewhat difficult. 'Singing is not my exact strength, but I'll use my voice all the same!'

Clearing his throat, he began.

* * *

The southern travelling musician…

With a lute in his hand.

With a brush of silver threads,

La, La-la~! Sleep awaits,

Village chief with his long beard,

Weapon shop uncle of greed.

Kid's running through the plaza,

A black cat up the roof..!

A robin singing atop a twig,

Even the serpent, armoured in iron,

Da, da-da, da, da-da~!

Everyone's asleep…

* * *

*Thud!*

Just as Adam had been praying so much for, the Field Boss collapsed to the grass, visibly asleep now.

"I-It worked…" Mumbling those words softly to himself, he managed to regain himself after a while, before pointing to the beast, and letting out a loud whisper. "Kill that thing..!"

"YEAH..!" Roaring back in a whispery voice, the soldiers charged the beast, before letting loose their blades or bows onto the beast.

"T-That actually worked…" Asuna seemed to have walked right beside him, a surprised expression having to cross her face. She was about to speak up once more, until the lad stopped her.

"Lady Asuna," he began in an apologetic tone of voice. "Earlier, I uh… I made some really bad remarks about you, calling you an idiot and all…" He suddenly lowered himself into a 45 degrees bow. "I'm sorry, really!"

"O-Oh," she wasn't expecting that at all. "It's alright. You managed to convince me in the end, plus… I don't really mind," she reassured him with a grin that—unfortunately—was never seen by him.

"Really?" Raising himself into a standing position, a wide smile crossed his face when the lass before him nodded to his inquiry. "Ah, thank God! Trust me, I was literally pressured last night, wondering what you would have done to me had I not apologised!"

"I doubt I would actually do anything," Asuna sweat dropped.

"In any case," he suddenly began, after the beast had been slain, and with the men bursting into a cheer and 'Hip-hip!'. "I should get going."

"What? Already?" She frowned, disappointed that he was able to join th—HER, for only the last two days.

"Don't worry," he chuckled the same, warming chuckle he always had. "I'm not leaving. I merely have business to tend to. Once I have all that sorted out, you can expect me to be back."

"Are you sure?" She asked, sounding rather skeptical at his words.

"Pssh! I promise!" He chirped back, before moving off in a direction. "I'll be back soon enough! Don't worry!"

* * *

 _She stood there, unable to do anything, as the lad walked off towards the horizon._

 _She felt lonely, for reasons she didn't understand yet, but she would make sure to stay alive, until he kept his promise._

 _Klein, Agil, Silica and Sachi joined Asuna, watching as their friend walk away. And if he promised her that he'd be back, they would make it a promise to them as well._


	7. Chapter 6

"Don't let me down!" - Speech

'You look familiar…' - Thoughts

" _The war was over."_ \- Flashback

*Whoosh!* *Tzzz!* - Sound effects

" **This isn't good!"** \- Tatl / Tael Speech

' **How in the world?'** \- Tatl / Tael Thoughts

* * *

'`Chapter 6: Gold, Gleaming and Pouring'`

 _Of all the comrades that stood strong by his side, Argo was undoubtedly one of the biggest puzzle._

 _She wasn't necessarily always there for him, but she was there nonetheless. She wasn't skilled with her dagger, but she would brandish her blade at those that threaten the lives of her loved ones._

 _Money was something she loved, but he was the one she put above everything else._

 _It was one of the most difficult choices; either she chose to pursuit the path of wealth, or to trek the mountain of love._

 _And yet, it was the easiest choice she had ever made, and it was that choice that led to her better future._

* * *

April 1st 2024, Floor 48

With his fairy companions present—as they always were, hiding in his hair—the lad travelled back down the floors, deciding to stock up on items before having to rejoin the clearing group.

It struck him as strange; of how he never did inform the others of his reason of his leave. And it even weirded him out of how accepting Asuna was of his leaving. Did she hate him that much?

'No,' he reasoned with himself with a shake of the head. 'She trusts that I can get back. Lady Asuna doesn't hate me, she just knows I can get back.' And with that thought dismissed, he moved on to the floor's town.

Much to his disappointment, the residents of the floor's town consisted mostly of vile thugs and drunkards, to which he had to make it his regular task of sweeping them, just to get around without having to be threatened at sword-point and the like.

So it was much coincidence, he thought, that he came across Argo, who was currently facing a sort of predicament.

"Come on, lass!" One of the dagger wielding thugs brandished her weapon in his way. "We've paid you what you wanted! Now, give us our f**king info!"

"Sorry, but I can't really help you out," Argo retorted, keeping a cheeky grin plastered on her face.

"Huh?! And why the hell not?!" The second thug snapped back, waving his mace in an attempt of instilling fear in her.

"Well… You just asked me for the player's identity. I already told you that I can't do that," she said back, taking a step back when the thugs snarled in response.

"Ohh, so you're really looking for trouble, eh?!" The dagger thug bared his teeth at the information broker, ready to swipe his weapon across her—

"Hey!" Had not Adam intervened.

"Eh?" A brief glance at the lad seemed to infuriate the mace thug. "Who the freaking heck are you?"

"The name's Adam," the lad answered, grinning as if there weren't any problems in the world. "And it seems to me that you're bothering a friend of mine."

"Ha? You call this 'thing'," the mace thug didn't notice the girl in question flinching at his choice of words. "Your friend?"

"Oi, she's a player, not a thing! If anything, I'm a thing!" He roared back. Though, he would have felt disappointed that they realised what he meant, but he felt even more when they didn't.

"Pfft! If you still think you could call her a player, and not a thing, then we've just got to teach you a lesson!" The dagger thug cackled sadistically, before turning to his accomplice with a devious smirk. "What do you say?"

"Anything to kill the boredom," the mace thug smirked back. He proceeded to turn his body to face the information broker, but he was surprised when the girl in question wasn't there. "W-What the hell?!"

*Thud.*

"Eh?" Casting a backward glance over his shoulder, he noticed that the girl was now hiding herself behind him.

"S-Sorry…" She whispered, heat slightly rushing up to her face.

Not even answering with words, he decided to give a nod of understanding, before unsheathing his weapon and directing it towards his enemies.

"Go on," he beckoned the thugs with a peaceful grin. "Nobody's stopping you. You wanted a piece at me earlier, right?"

Growling at his invitation—

"RRAGH!"

"HrrAH!"

The two thugs broke into a run towards the lad, their weapons gripped tightly, and they were prepared to strike him down—

*Bang!*

"GHah!"

"H-Huh?"

The mace thug watched as his accomplice earned himself a sharp blow to the ribs, curtesy of the lad with the hilt of his sword. The dagger thug was sent a good distance just from the strike, finally crashing into a pile of crates.

"And," the lad glared at his target, the latter shuddering in response. "You earn yourself a cut!"

*Shin!* *Thud!*

"Gah!" Taking a slash to the body was enough to send his pain receptors onto their jogging machines. The force behind the attack sent the thug flying away, and into the same pile his accomplice was sent towards. "Eggh…"

"Well, that was rather one-sided," Adam commented to himself, before sheathing his weapon, and proceeding to face his friend. "So, how are ya', Argo?"

"Good, up until earlier," the auburn haired girl replied, a sigh of relief escaping her a moment later. "But what are you doing all the way out here?" She asked, sounding rather curious.

Last she heard about him, he had returned to the front lines. Now, he was here? Why was that? God, he really is hard to read…

"Came here to restock on items," he'd wish he had never said that later on.

"Really?" Taking a look at her face, he could very well see that her eyes gleamed like a pair of coins.

"Y-Yeah. You have any idea where I could find some items?" Adam asked, sounding rather worried with what she was about to say.

"Then how about you come to my shop?" She offered, surprising the lad by a lot.

"Hang on a minute. You're a merchant?" He asked. He knew that she would do anything to earn herself a living, but he had never thought that she'd take up arms as a merchant.

"Mmhm! Just started up shop a good few days ago. How about it?" Her invitation was tempting, very much so, and he had no other choice.

"Alright, I'll come along," Adam finally relented with a shrug, knowing that she was probably prepared to bug him until he chose to go along with her.

As such, with Argo smiling from ear to ear, and Adam walking right beside her with his arms folded behind his head, they travelled to the next town, to the next floor.

And something happened.

* * *

April 16th 2024, Floor 51

"God damn it… I can't believe you managed to pull this off in such short notice," Adam pouted, forcing a shelf in position at the far end of the large tent that is Argo's shop. "Seriously though, you suck! I was so happy, just eating breakfast, putting my feet up, and having a moment to relax… And you just _had_ to ruin it."

Folding his arms, he turned towards where his auburn haired companion was cheerfully ignoring him.

"How did you get me to agree to this anyway?" He inquired. A huff escaped him when all he got in response was a small shake of her hips, resulting in her stretching her brown pants tight around the smooth curves of her shapely behinds.

It felt awkward, he thought, to be given a full view of the girl's bottom… Still, he'd be lying if he wasn't enjoying the view in the slightest.

"Seriously, Argo… I have a good memory, if I may so myself, and you said it exactly last night. You said that you _weren't_ going to open the shop today, that you've already sold every of your key items and wanted to take a break before restocking for the next town," Adam grumbled, physically and mentally tired.

"Adam, don't be like that!" Argo laughed at his mood, before straightening her posture and twirling around until she faced him with a smile that, much to Adam's confusion, was far too wide for such an early morning, "Who knew the 'Black Swordsman' was such a sourpuss?"

"Hey, don't bring that title up!" Adam retorted, a mix of embarrassment and annoyance present in his tone of voice.

"For your knowledge, business is like a woman," she explained, ignoring his sudden outcry, and the golden bracelet around her wrist instantly earning the lad's attention. "It's unreadable, kinda' like you! You've got to always be ready, cause' anything can change in a single moment!"

He sweat-dropped at her words; her words were fit for the description, of how his plans for this morning had been changed by her in a blink of the eye.

Flashing a cheeky grin to his frown, she sauntered past him to finish straightening the merchandise setup along the countertop.

"Seriously, Adam! I was practically bursting with excitement for sales when I woke up this morning! You can't just expect me to just ignore this!" She was definitely giddy, but he wasn't expecting her to be this way SO early in the morning. Hell, the sun wasn't up yet!

"Really? Even though there's not much to earn here?" Of course, the town wasn't poor. It was just that there were already many rival shops that were able to compete with Argo's on a toe-to-toe level.

"But the goddess of luck will definitely be smiling on us today! There's Cor to be made today, I can just feel it!" She bounced around the room with a joyful smile, her lithe figure swaying here to fro as she danced around the tent, putting the finishing touches on the stock, "Plus, you're here! The day's definitely going to be the best!"

Pausing for a moment to avert his eyes from how the girl's mounds were bouncing each time she jumped to reach an upper shelf, Adam considered her words. For reasons Tatl and Tael were already told of earlier, he seemed to have a good knowledge about sales and money. But, what Argo said was his truest talent was how he understood people. Furthermore, he had grown closer to the auburn haired information broker in many different ways; he'd spent time with her for the past week, he'd talked to her and ultimately, he'd seen sides of her that she kept secret to others.

"Jeez, you were always more excited to sell information. Now, it's items?" He chuckled at his point. "And you're still excited about sales, despite being in town for almost a week? Even with all of your exotic merchandise already sold?"

"A-Ahaha…" Visibly not looking back over to him, her voice was slowly losing its convincing tone. "Well, you never know, right? I just—"

"Argoo…" Drawling her name in a breath, the lad had stepped over towards her, proceeding to snake his arms around her waist from behind and settle his chin on her shoulder. She didn't need to turn around, to know that he had a happy smile etched across his features. "You know, I could've made time to spend with you. You just needed to say so."

"Ad—" Her voice rose into a high pitch at the sensation of his arms around her. And, much to her embarrassment, it didn't even take a minute for her to melt into his warm embrace, letting his arms wrap tight around her as she sank back into his chest. "Adam…"

He couldn't blame her; the realisation stung him with a sudden pang of guilt. He remembered the first night when they first came to this very town, ready to begin the next day, and things just…

Just how long had it been since they'd actually spent time together, as a couple, in a bed, at the very least? It had been weeks, hadn't it? He didn't mind, even if they didn't exactly looked like the loveliest of the couples. He still loved her very dearly, and he wanted to get his message across to her.

"I-I know I've been… neglecting you lately…" He apologised, his hatred towards himself burning ever more brightly when his statement escaped him. "But, I don't want to lose you. Not now, not ever. Really, Argo, you can just tell me when you want to be with me, really."

He had sinned far too much for redemption. And, loving others, he knew it'd be equivalent in dragging others to Hell with him. Even so… He wanted to love them, and when the time to release them comes, he'd do it. He would ensure that his loved ones would not fall with him.

"Hnaa, A-Adam," the girl in question shuddered with his touch, her body quickly craving more of him.

"Haha…" Chuckling quietly, he slid both his hands around her hips, slowly turning her in place to face him. "Come here."

"Hu-Mmm-mmmmm!" The auburn haired girl was too slow, she thought, for she didn't have enough time to stop herself from sighing. That, added with her mouth letting out an—to her—unexpected moan, as he held by her back and hip securely.

She was hesitant at first, but she didn't argue. Taking notice of this, he decided to deepen the kiss, leaning her carefully back against the store counter, careful not to injure her. The lad held her tight, but this time made no attempt to escalate his desires. Rather, upon letting go, he sheepishly apologised, stating that he thought that that was what she needed.

A quick, loving action.

She wanted more, much more. So, without wasting a moment, she had immediately wrapped her arms around his neck, the tension flowing out of her muscles as she relaxed comfortably into him. The lad hummed to her a soft melody, and she loved it very much, more than any songs in the world.

* * *

Later

She had thought it was impossible, for her to get annoyed at her shop being 'full'. Just earlier, she had been beaming at the thought of making Cor. She was literally hoping it would happen! Hell, she dreamt of it the night before! So why was she complaining about it now?

"Tsk," Argo allowed herself to silently click her tongue, looking over to where a group of NPC's and players were fishing through the shelves in search of the item they wanted—Yet, she never managed to feel satisfied or excited as she always was, and it definitely didn't help in putting out this burning chagrin in her.

It was hard to focus on the sales, since there was the presence of the same raven haired lad standing off in the distance, away from her behind the counter.

Argo had always found Adam many things; attractive, friendly, funny and easy on the eyes. Even so, that didn't just limit to those reasons. If inquired, she could have come up with a thousand more. Obviously, anybody could.

Now, she had truly only meant to spend time with him, nothing more than that. But being so far away from him, her mind kept coming back to the way his hands had been wrapped around her, the way his fingers had been toying with her belt.

'O-Oh God…' She gulped, a horrifying and embarrassing realisation dawning onto her. 'D-Did I just wanted to have s-s-sex? Here?'

She'd never even considered something like that before! Inside the store? To mix all of this with something as impure as lust and heady pleasure, it was almost unthinkable! And in somewhere public, no less!

And yet…

'Damn it…' She couldn't help it anymore. 'I want more. I want to feel him, ahh, I need him again…'

Unfortunately, it would be some time before she decided to take her prize, for the tent flaps opened again and another small group of customers made their way inside. No matter how she felt about it, right now, there was nothing she could do about it. She would keep up her work, but her eyes couldn't help but watch over her friend.

Deciding to keep up his task, Adam proceeded with his work, tending to the customers and being there to serve. With each Cor that entered the till, his smile brightened.

'Well,' he thought, smiling as the customer before him paid for the steel falchion he had just picked off from the shelf. 'At least Argo wouldn't have any problems later on.'

During the entire work time, he wasn't expecting any of the money to enter his wallet. Rather, he had hoped to give all to the information broker, in case she needed it in the future. And it wasn't just an exaggeration.

She may have been nifty with her dagger, but she surely wasn't going to survive long enough. The encounter with the thugs from earlier definitely reminded him of that.

'She would need new armour, and probably new weapons,' his mind was clouded with thoughts, but he never failed to deliver a smile towards his customers. "That'll be 1,200 Cor."

"Alright," the elderly man before him answered, before delivering the amount to the lad.

"Thank you," Adam replied with a nod of his head. The elder returned the gesture, leaving the shop with the sack of iron ingots saddled around his shoulder.

'He must be a smithy,' the black haired lad concluded, seeing as there was no other explanation to why he'd purchase so many iron.

Deciding to take his eyes away from the shop's surroundings, he landed his gaze on Argo. Much to his surprise, she wasn't there at all.

"If you're looking for the girl," the lad was snapped out of his thoughts, as he turned to face the next customer; a burly young man. "She just left. Through the back flaps, I suppose."

"Oh, I see," he was slightly disappointed, but felt glad at her action.

Disappointed, for the fact that she had just left him to tend to the customers all by his lonesome, when this is her shop. She was the one who had set up shop here, but now she's gone? That left him rather questioning about her motives.

Glad that she decided to grab some fresh air, free herself from the tightly packed tent and all the customers. He knew the second was the better choice here, because—

*Chng!*

"W-Waah!"

"E-Ergh…"

Sighing at the sound of a little boy screaming, Adam didn't even to look to confirm his suspicions. One of his customers had just tore a rift in the tent. With a sword.

* * *

Night

"Sooo…" Adam drawled, lacking anything to say. "Should I start arranging the new equipment? Or should I count how much Cor we've got?"

"Just count how much Cor we have in the till," Argo replied, trying her best to not overstep her 'designs'. "I'm just gonna' check the armour."

"Got it," the lad replied, before moving to the till and withdrawing every Cor. Immediately, he stuck to his word; beginning to count the pieces of coins.

'Thank God the hole's patched up…' Adam thought with relief flooding over him.

The boy's parents from earlier had seen it fit to punish him, and the lad wasn't one to pry into the matter. Deciding to leave it at that, he decided to seal the rift. He fished the tent for any tape, but all was solved when Argo had returned, and with duct tape. And thus, the hole was sealed.

With his back turned towards her, a sly grin crossed the auburn haired girl's face. Quickly and silently, she slipped herself out of her cloak, and later the leather armour that cladded her body.

"Lover boy~!" Hearing his lover calling out to him, he didn't bother to turn around to respond; seems like he's really into counting the Cor.

"Yah?" He paused for a while to count with his fingers, before turning to the merchant. "What's up, Ar—Oh my God!"

Standing away from the counter, right in the centre of the tent, Argo was in nothing more than her birthday suit. Looking off in the distance, Adam could very well see her clothes piled right below the shelves. And this begged the question; did she not just put it all in the inventory just to add to the appeal?

Cause' if so, it was definitely working on him.

"Come on, we haven't done it in weeks!" The girl flashed a sly grin, accompanied with how she had slowly traced her fingers all the way down to her 'crown', it only served to fuel his lust.

"I-I can't… This is your store," he reasoned with her, sounding rather unsure.

"So? Nobody's here anymore, and we've already put on the 'Close' sign. We're basically free," the girl wasn't wrong there. I mean, who would still force themselves into a shop that clearly says that they're _not_ open for business?

…Anybody?

"Come on, I know you want to…" Her sultry tone of voice was rapidly getting to him.

And she unshackled him.

Regaining his sanity, he steeled himself for the worst to come. The first night they had claimed each other lasted for two hours, so he was hoping that tonight that she'd get tired faster.

Hesitantly, Adam joined the women before him. He knew well enough that this would be the last time they'd be able to share this. The day after, he'd need to leave, to return back to the battlefield and aid the clearing group.

He took her hands in his, pulling her to him to give the girl a chaste kiss, before pulling her over to the counter top, bending her over it so all that was in view was her back and her plumb behind. Reaching out and placing his hands on the Argo's thighs, he couldn't help but enjoy the feeling of her lightly tanned skin trembling under his fingers as he ran them around the curves of her wide, round hips.

"Are you sure?" Though he had already lined himself up at her entrance, he wouldn't be the man he was if he didn't ask. He held himself back with the last of his restraint, trying to play fair.

"Yeah," She glanced back at him, past her shoulder with a bright, trusting smile. "Adam, all I wanted for the whole day was to spend it with you. B-But now… I want this. I meant it, so, hhnaa, p-please, go ahead."

It was almost a romantic moment. And he had long lost his words.

Accepting her words, he tightened his grip on her waist, giving her a moment to brace herself as he smoothly rolled his hips forward, slowly entering her.

"Hghaa…" He gasped, clenching his teeth as he pushed inside, waiting for a second, before pulling himself completely out of her and giving one last push.

"YESSS!" Argo cried out, screaming as she felt her lover finally enter her. Clearly she had missed this.

'Damn…' Adam watched as her tongue immediately slip out of her mouth, lolling right by the lips and drool slowly trickling out. 'Had she been wanting this for these few weeks?'

That last thought brought him a pang of guilt. He had been wanting so much to spend time with her, of course, but things always… happened. That first night, it was due to her being drunk at that time. Now? They really became a couple, adding one more member to his harem.

* * *

Flashback

" _What?"_

" _..!"_

 _Hearing her tone of voice suddenly becoming sharp, the lad flinched slightly. However, he knew he couldn't hide it forever, so he confessed._

" _I-I'm seeing two other girls…" He began, keeping voice low where she was able to hear him, all the while making sure others couldn't. "My first lover is Sachi from the 'Moonlit Black Cats', and the other is Silica the 'Dragon Tamer'."_

" _I should have told you, but…" But he didn't want to hurt her. He'd knew, that the moment the words were spilled out of his mouth, that she would blame herself. With each day he'd walk the lands, he'd be a walking reminder of her sin._

 _But, could he really blame her? He was the sinful one here, he believed. Having to lie at her, and now hurting her with the truth… Was there anything worse than that?_

" _Oh…" Hearing that single word shredded his heart._

 _He felt bad, horrible even, that he had pulled her into this. Had she not fallen for him, she would have been happy, loving someone else! But now, he had dragged her to Hell with him, each word acting as a sort of blade striking her down._

' _No, it's alright…' He understood long ago, that if he were to be cursed at, he would accept it. He had hurt her, he believed, and if so, let her curse at him. Let her swear her hatred towards him, just as he had towards himself._

" _Mmhm, I get it…" She whispered, her head entering a slow nodding. The lad bit his lip, hoping that she'd forgive him. "And I think this is…"_

" _Fun."_

'… _Is what?'_

 _He hadn't been expecting that answer._

 _Of all the things she could have said, she had called it 'fun'? What?! What sort of mockery was this? He was ready to accept a scolding, let alone a slap, from the girl, but here she is, describing this whole situation as a sort of entertainment?_

" _Y-You don't mind?" He finally asked, after his mind failed to wrack up the reasons as to why she deemed this situation 'fun'._

" _I mean, now I get to have a new family," she whispered, mouth curling into a sweet smile. "Think about it. You're the one with the harem, and the girls around you are your lovers. With me part of it, now, it's like I have my own sisters!"_

" _O-Oh," he wasn't ready for any of this._

 _It sounded mad! Insane, even! But, who could blame her? He didn't know her backgrounds; had she lived her whole life alone? As an information broker, she probably had to deal with distrusts and backstabs the whole time._

 _Where she would be threatened by thugs, just like during the day, for information. And yet, she stood strong, running from town to town, in search of and selling information from sources and to players._

" _So… Now what?" Adam was rather confused with what was going on. Should he be with her now? Or should he leave her?_

" _Hmm… You know what? I'm joining you!" She declared, bright smile etched onto her face._

" _H-Huh? But, I told you already," he reasoned with her with all he could, not wishing to pain her even more. "I'm already seeing—"_

" _I don't mind!" She pouted, before her cheeky smile returned to her once more. "Really, I like this. This may sound stupid, but… If this girl, Sachi, was it? Anyways, if Sachi's willing to share you with others, then I'm not gonna' let the offer go to waste!"_

" _What the—MMMPH!"_

" _Mmhaa!"_

 _And as such, she allowed herself to move forwards, capturing the lad's lips with her own, hungrily sucking and biting, and even inviting her tongue in his._

 _That night, she thought, was perfect._

* * *

Immediately, he stopped himself the moment he felt her tense up.

"M-More…"

"Coming r-right up!"

Sliding forward once more, in response to her movements, Adam pushed in, gasping at the incredible constriction, wrapping tightly around him as he pushed her innermost walls apart around him. She was tight, unsurprisingly, exactly as tight as he remembered the first night they had made love. Thankfully, after being held back for the entire day, a few weeks, and she was more than wet enough to accept him.

"UNnaaaaa!" Gripping tightly to her hips, as much to calm himself as for proper friction, he was spurred even more by the loud moans Argo let out, arching back with her groans echoing around the tent as he buried inch after inch of himself into her.

"Uhaaa!" Even before he could stop himself, he had let out an involuntary moan, marvelling at the breaking-down of the girl's tough façade mixed with the sheer wanton lust she was giving off, squeezing vice-tight around him. The pressure finally gave up—much to his thanks—as he drove himself further in, slowly building up his momentum as he rocked back and forth, spreading her walls apart around him as he thrust deeper and deeper inside. "G-God, you feel great, Argo!"

Argo's cries increased in pitch as her lover pushed even faster forwards, driving the full length of his shaft inside her, stretching her walls to the limits and finally—

"AUIIYYAAA!" Finally, sending her world suddenly exploding into a shower of colour as he hilted himself fully inside her.

"Nghaaa, hahaaa," She panted, mind jumping from here to there in circles as she survived an orgasm. "M-Man, I missed this…"

"You sure do, huh?" Adam teased, putting his hands on her hips, before pulling himself out of her, much to her chagrin.

"H-Hey, what are yo—HHhann!" She barely had any time to prepare herself, as her lover thrusted himself back into her, albeit with much force in his action. "Ha-Harder! F**k me harder!"

"Y-Your wish..!" He was panting raggedly, acknowledging the fact that lovemaking was really a tiring activity, but very rewarding. "Is my command!"

And as such, Adam rammed into his auburn haired lover, much harder than he was before, driving himself to the hilt into her, pushing her sopping wet 'it' to its limits as she cried for more.

Where just ago was a loving moment, soft and smooth, and with smiles here and there… Now, all they wanted was the other, hungrily lusting for the other's touch and tastes.

This, the both of them and this, this was all that existed right now, all that he could possibly understand at the moment. Everything else had been long lost in the grand haziness of lust.

He'd long since lost all track of time; He didn't know how long they had been at it. Minutes? Hours? There wasn't any way to determine that, how long they'd stopped or how many times they'd restarted.

And, much to his surprisingly obliviousness, he had long lost track of how many times he'd release, the countless orgasms blending together into an incredible sensation thrumming continuously through him.

The both of them were all stripped completely naked now, with Argo bent over a low table in the middle of the store and the merchandise pushed to the ground as Adam furiously f**ked her, just as she requested. The golden bracelet that Adam had presented to her the first night was put aside with their clothes some unknowable time ago, and since then, all there was were sultry smiles, black and auburn hair, and the sound of hip smacking hip.

His jewels were throbbing, his hips aching and his muscles screaming for rest. Every battle instinct he had prog—in him told him that he was well beyond his limits. The same was true for his lover, who was lying flat across the table, shaking her hips against his thrusts, gasping in delight each time he had pushed all the way to touch her insides, sending a thrill of delight up her spine.

Yet, somehow, as a man—or as a male, at the very least—he hadn't been able to stop, he couldn't possibly think of giving in until he'd taken this incredible opportunity for every single second he could get out of it!

He couldn't let up now! He had promised her that he'd be by his side, and if this meant leaving her, then he was all the more determined to see this to the end!

"Ar-Argo!" The pressure within him had been building for some time now, surging hotter than ever before, as if he was draining every drop of his life energy to fuel his desires. It roiled within him, surging and searing with his every thrust, with every shake of his lover's hips, with every time her tunnel coiled around him, crashing and burning until finally, at long last, it was more than he could take, more than he could possibly stand.

And so, with a shrill from the throat, with his 'it' bucked deeply in hers, clenching his eyes shut and driving himself hard, one final time, to the very hilt inside her, pushing her accommodating tunnel wide around him as the very last of his release surged through him.

"GRAAHA!"

"AUNGGH!"

He knew the feeling very well, but it was amazing, no matter how many times he did it. Down there, it spasmed violently, his entire body jerking harder than ever as jet after jet of hot, thick 'water' was sent blasting hard into Argo's already overfilled tunnel, filling her to its limits and sloshing out of her, running thick down her legs and only mixing in with the sticky pool below her feet.

With their voices mixed together, crying out in one last, mind-shattering peak as their world exploded into pure white bliss, spots dancing at the front of their eyes and all receptors numbed of anything.

And then, at long last, with their consciousness gone even before their strength finally gave out, the lovers finally slumped down, collapsing together to the ground in an ignominious heap.

And softly, with their bodies all thrumming with a feeling of absolute satisfaction, they let the world fade away from around them.

* * *

 _The day after, he had chosen to leave, but not without repeating the same thing he did with his other loves; the promise._

 _And as such, it was the greatest time, and it was the saddest. But they would reunite once more in the future, and no other people would stop them._

 _He may have left, but his spirit was with her all through the end. And so, she was happy, satiated, and her smile still stuck to her, even as she put on the 'Open' sign on the tent's front flap._

* * *

A/N: Before any of you start thinking this is _totally_ original, I'd like a brief moment to express a truth. This chapter is with inspiration from 'A Bargain at Twice the Price' by JL Davenport. Go read his stories, they're beautifully done! That is all.


	8. Chapter 7

"Don't let me down!" - Speech

'You look familiar…' - Thoughts

" _The war was over."_ \- Flashback

*Whoosh!* *Tzzz!* - Sound effects

" **This isn't good!"** \- Tatl / Tael Speech

' **How in the world?'** \- Tatl / Tael Thoughts

* * *

'`Chapter 7: A Case To Solve'`

 _Love was always a fickle thing._

 _It was many things; it was an action, it was an emotion, but all in all, it was important. It was a piece of a human's heart, and love could very well change the acts of a person._

 _Love is a fickle thing, the First AI noticed. It has to be polished if it were to shine as bright as the Earth's Sun. If it were to be left alone, it would crumble under the weight, and it would soon be divided into two._

 _So when he heard of the case, of a husband killing his wife, he couldn't let it slide any longer. He was furious, and punishment had to be judged on the sinner._

* * *

March 6th 2024, Floor 56—Pani

It was any normal day, but it was surprisingly a good one. It hadn't been like the previous days; where it would have been brewing a storm, let alone with the snow blocking the sun.

Now? It was sunny, bright and windy; perfect for a day of rest. Unfortunately, it was also on this day that they were preparing for a _raid_.

As the Vice Commander of the 'Knights of Blood', and the one assigned to lead the mission, Asuna was tasked with ensuring that everyone were prepared to take to take on the Labyrinth. However, it came to her attention that a certain black-cladded swordsman and one chirpy samurai were absent, and this seemed to infuriate her.

'Are those boys seriously slacking off?' She thought to herself, unable to find it in her heart to forgive them. 'Ooh! If I find them, I'll get them running, just they watch!'

And as such, the swords-woman took it upon herself to walk around the village, trying to locate the whereabouts of her friends. She walked from here to there, asking the NPCs and other players for help. It took some time, and she was getting restless from all the questioning and asking, until she found them lying down on the grass below a huge tree, visibly napping.

"Ahem!" The boys didn't respond to her, causing her to sigh. "What are the both of you doing? Everyone's busy at the Labyrinth. We need to go, _now_."

"But I don't want to…" the lad mumbled, still lying down with his eyes closed. Klein was already pass being conscious, he was already asleep by now. There was nothing to do with him now.

"And why's that?" Asuna wondered as to what he just said. "The others are frantically trying to clear the dungeon, and where are the both of you? Here, lazing about and napping. And why's that? You may be a solo player, but—"

"Lady Asuna, do me a favour and take a good look around you," Adam requested, and the strawberry blond girl complied, albeit feeling a bit confused.

Turning her head to scan her surroundings, she could very well see the beautiful greens of the field. The Sun was blinding by a bit, but the canopy of the tree the boys laid below gave shade from the light. The wind was pleasant as well, she noticed, as the warm humidity of the air made her feel… relaxed.

"See? The weather today is possibly the best, Lady Asuna, and it's during Aincrad's nicest season," he slowly explained.

"Haa?" She felt confused at her words, but he continued on.

"I don't wanna' waste a day like this in some dungeon. I mean, this may be game, but try to at least enjoy it, just as you enjoy life," he said with a shrug.

"Seriously? Don't tell me that you haven't notice it," she said, sounding rather strict.

"Noticed what?" He asked back, not understanding what he said.

"I-It's," she paused to let out a sigh. "Every day that passes here means a day lost in the real world. Don't tell me you don't care about that!"

*Snore!*

The two flinched at the sound released by the samurai, the swordsman making a hand gesture at the girl to be silent.

"But, Lady Asuna, we're in the world of Aincrad, not the real world," he reasoned.

*Fwoo~!*

"Aah, that feels great…" The lad sighed happily, as his hair danced with the wind. "Do you not feel it? The wind and Sun are just so… amazing. Relaxing, even."

"Really?" Asuna felt rather skeptical at his words, wondering as to what he meant. "I mean, it doesn't really feel all that different than the usual."

"That's because you're always stuck in your room, making tactics and the like," Adam pointed out, sending the girl cringing. "I may be a tactician too, sort of… But even I need my rest. Going to battles without a nap can be your downfall."

"Then what do you expect me to do?" Asuna asked.

"Lie down here with us. Believe me, you won't re… regret… it…" The lad slowly dozed off, and finally entered a sleeping state, accompanied by his steady breathing.

Asuna looked down to the boys lying down on the grass. It was strange, she thought. It felt like the same, but how are they able to relax like this? She turned her face around, taking a look at her surroundings, before bringing up her hand to block out the bits of light that pierced through tree's roof.

Was this right? She was supposed to be doing her duty, but the words that came out of the lad's mouth was convincing, very much so. In the end, she gave in. She lowered herself onto the grass, until she was finally in a lying position, her face looking up into the blue sky. Nothing felt strange about this, but it definitely didn't feel like—

*Sigh…* *Zzz…*

…Yeah, never mind. She fell asleep, not even a minute later.

* * *

"Mmmh…" Klein slowly began to regain his consciousness, finally sitting up and stretching himself due to the soreness of his body. "Whoo! That felt good!"

"Yeah, and we've got a problem on our hands," a familiar voice called out.

"Hmm?" Klein looked to his side, and blinked confusedly at the sight before him.

As of currently, Asuna was currently lying right beside the black haired lad, hair in a messy pile, and her legs and arms slightly bent. Her left cheek touched the grass, and the lad sweat-dropped at her.

"D-Dude…" The maroon haired samurai was unable to believe any of this. "What… the heck?"

"I don't know! I mean, I just suggested for her to try and sleep with us, but I didn't know she would actually listen to me..!" Adam whispered back, loud but not enough to wake the sleeping maiden.

"Whatever… Anyways, I've got something to do with my guild," Klein informed the lad, and the latter began sweating bullets at what he meant.

"H-Hang on, you don't mean you're planning to leave me all _alone_ with her now?" Adam asked, worry present in his tone of voice.

"Oh, please! You'll do okay!" Klein reassured his friend with a thumbs-up and a grin; the latter felt anything but calm. "Okay then, I'll see you later!"

"Wait, Klein!" Adam called out to his friend as he thrusted his arm out in the latter's direction, but he couldn't prevent his friend from disappearing off into the town. "Son of a woman…"

With a heavy sigh, the lad turned to look back at the lass. She was sleeping pleasantly, and it didn't seem right.

" **What do you plan to do now, Adam?"** Tatl asked from inside his hair.

"Watch over her, I guess," Adam replied with a tired shrug. "I mean, she may get into trouble, being alone and what not."

" **Really? I doubt anything of the like could happen,"** Tael reasoned with him. He shook his head in response.

"There will be trouble, no doubt. If I leave her here, she's just begging to get killed," Adam informed his fairy friends, the two of them shuddering at that thought.

" **You don't mean… She could get killed by a player, is it?"** Tatl asked, his fears confirmed by his human friend's nodding.

" **That's terrible!"** The white fairy exclaimed, not even trying to feign her surprise. **"So, what do we do now? I mean, we can't carry her back, can we?"**

"Nah, I'd rather not. I'd risk waking her up, no doubt," the lad answered, giving a brief glance towards the girl's way. "It's alright, really. I'll be here to watch over her. You guys can do whatever you want in the meantime."

" **Oho, no! If you're staying,"** Tael began as she flew over Adam's head, finally sitting atop his hair. **"Then we're not going anywhere."**

" **Agreed,"** the black fairy joined his sister, sitting beside her.

"…" Adam said no words in response, but the smile that crept up to his face—as he sat himself atop the cobble wall, overlooking the field of green, it was clearer than diamond.

He said 'Thank you', responded with the fairies smiling as well.

* * *

Evening

The Sun was slowly beginning its descent. The reds of the sun had already formed in a circle around the Dwarf Star. Being so close to the horizon, the light had enough distance to travel to the lad's eyes, leaving behind the longer wavelength lights of red, orange and yellow for all to see.

…Ok, ignore all that text. That was just a bunch of science talk. All about 'Rayleigh scattering'.

*Achoo..!*

"Huh?" Adam turned to where the sneeze came from, now realising that the girl was stirring from her sleep. He watched as she sat up straight, rubbing her groggy eyes and yawning out loud as she stretched her sore limbs.

"W-Wha..?" She took a look around, trying to understand where she was, or what was going on.

"Oh hey, you woke up. Evening," the lad greeted her as he sat.

*Ching!*

"Hh..!"

"W-Whoa!"

Jumping down from the wall, and using it as a sort of barricade, he could very well see that the girl had immediately gripped her rapier's hilt the moment she rose into a standing position.

"God, woman! I swear, nothing happened!" The lad reasoned with her, keeping his head low in case she were to unleash a sword skill on her. "You fell asleep, is all!"

"…" She stood there, stiff and very cautious, until she finally turned her head away.

"Jeez, I'm not lying! Klein went home, and I was just watching over you!" Adam cried out, finally sighing in relief when she sheathed her blade once more.

"Thank you…" She muttered, loud enough that Adam could hear.

"Yeeaah, I don't know why you should be thanking _me_ ," Adam sweat-dropped. "In any case, I'm surprised you actually fell asleep."

"I guess I just wanted to try," she reasoned, face slowly burning.

"Yeah, and when I say sleep, you're a heavy sleeper. That much is sure," Adam stated, bursting into a laughter soon enough.

"H-HUH?! I-I don't—I'm not a heavy sleeper!" Asuna retorted, waving her arms frantically in the arm. Her own blush began forming, obviously embarrassed.

"Alright, alright. Let's leave it at here. For now, after all that sleeping, I'm famished," the lad stated, his rumbling stomach ready to invite its guests in. "I mean, I could even eat a buffalo!"

"Well… Then, it's on me," Asuna said as she turned to face him, earning him a gasp from the lad.

"W-Whoa now, why all of a sudden?" The swordsman asked, although he wasn't really going to complain. Everyone can agree on this; free food is the best!

"It's, uh…" The swords-woman looked to the side, clearly trying to process her words. She finally turned to the lad, ready to give her response. "It's just… You stayed here, watching over me while I slept. I know that this area was safe, but there could've been a chance when an orange player might just kill me in my sleep. So… Thank you."

"Ah, it's nothing, really! Though your snores were enough to be our alarms," The lad jested, letting go another laughter.

"I-I don't snore!" Asuna retorted again, her blush growing larger. Despite this little feud, it did bring the two closer.

* * *

March 6th 2024, Floor 57—Martin

The restaurant was brimming with people; the customers who were waiting for their orders, the waiters and waitresses running from table to table with trays of dishes and cups held steadily on their hands—except for the couple of those that tripped on nothing, therefore breaking the cups and trays—and the chefs, cooking up their dishes with the fire and equipment.

What caught everyone else's attention, however, was the presence of the 'Knights of Blood' Vice Commander, who—this was what perplexed them in the first place—was sitting opposite of a black cladded swordsman, the latter flashing a sheepish grin at the ones who looked their way.

"Isn't she Asuna of the Knights of Blood? / So that must be the 'Flash', / Then, who's the guy in black?" A group of three conversed to each other, as they sat a good table away from the swords wielders in question.

'Damn it…' Adam cursed to himself, as he swapped his eyes around to glance at the surroundings of the restaurant, without even turning his head. 'This place is way too fancy for me! How is she able to deal with this sort of thing?'

"T-Thank you," the girl began, pulling the lad out of his thoughts. "For today. For watching over me."

"A-Ah," he was surprised that she kept bringing up the topic. "Really's it's no problem."

"The town are safe areas, no doubt, so there's no risk of being attacked by monsters or other players, but…" She trailed off, and the lad could spot a hint of disappointment—he assumed it was towards herself—in her eyes. "It's different when you're sleeping."

"Can't disagree there," Adam replied as he hung his left arm around the chair's stand. "There's sleep player-killing, which takes advantage of the duel system."

"Usually, one would challenge the other in a duel to test the other's strength," he began, looking out of the window and glancing at the street, which was filled with other people. "And it's dangerous, since you can lose your own HP, even in safe areas."

'And yet…' Adam sweat-dropped at a thought, anticipating the lass to say something rather outlandish, but possible.

"It is possible to challenge someone when they are asleep, and move their finger to make them accept the duel request," she concluded, confirming the lad's earlier thought. "And then… You attack them, until the person dies. It does happen, so… Thank you."

"A-Aha! Yeah, of course. What's a comrade for, am I right? Had I not helped, the situation would've gone pretty 'left'," Adam jested, blinking in disbelief when the lass didn't even chuckle.

"I think the word you're looking for is 'bad'," she corrected him.

'Egh..!' Feeling his pride shattered, he slumped backwards into his chair.

"Are you alright?" She asked, looking concerned with the sudden change of behaviour.

"Yeah…" Adam sadly replied, comical tears flowing down from his eyes, as he realised that he failed to send one into la—

"AAAHH!"

"Whoa!"

"What the..?"

The shrieking of a woman forced the two from their chairs. Looking out of the window, Adam joined Asuna out of the restaurant, running to the centre of the town, until—

"Look!" Pointing out to a certain location, the lass followed where his finger shown, and her eyes widened in response.

"Ngraah..!" Hanging from a wooden stand by a rope was a heavy-armour wearing man, with a spear of sorts lunged right in his chest, penetrating the metal and his flesh. A red cut was seen there.

"Oh damn…" He felt sick at the sight before him, before he turned to Asuna to give a command. "Run up there and cut him down! I'll break his fall!"

"Right!" She replied, before making her way up the tower.

"Damn it, man! Pull it out! Pull it out!" Adam screamed at the man who hung from the tower, the latter giving a brief glance at the swordsman, before attempting to pull the weapon out.

"GhGRNGAHA!" He winced and yelled at the pain, and his attempts to pull the sword out didn't work.

'Fudge… Come on, Lady Asuna, hurry up..!' He prayed so much that the armoured figure wouldn't die, until—

"Knggh…"

"Hh..!"

The figure finally went limp, before—

*Khhng!* *Clang!*

Disappearing into the same pixels one would see when a person dies, accompanied with the red weapon digging itself into the pavements, resulting into an outcry by the crowd.

"You could only die in a safe area," Adam muttered to himself, before turning to face the crowd. "Is to get killed in a duel…" Finally having the solution clicked in him, he roared out to the crowd. "Everyone, look around you for a person with a 'Winner' duel notification!"

"There's no one inside!" Asuna cried out from the top of the tower.

The lad ignored her, scanning the crowd for the notification he was frantically searching for. And yet, despite his good eyesight and the like, he failed to spot culprit. He clicked his tongue, before making his way up the tower, but not without pulling the sword out.

*Creak.*

He entered the room, able to see Asuna by the window, with a rope attached to the pole in the centre of the room. Shutting the door behind him, he allowed himself to lean against the door, all the while taking a look at the weapon.

"What the heck does all of this mean?" He wondered out loud.

"The most obvious explanation to all of this," she began, looking at the rope which was used to hang the figure. "Is that the figure was impaled by the weapon, the culprit hanging him with a noose, and shoving the victim out through the window," she turned to face him after she ended her assumption. "Don't you agree?"

"Sure, that could have happened, but…" The lad paused, and Asuna was able to make out a gear rotating in front of his right eye, which had turned blue.

"What's that?" She asked, staring at the blue eye, until he shook his head rapidly.

"Nothing, nothing," he reassured her. "But I doubt that that was what happened. I mean, I didn't even see a 'Winner' notification on anyone."

"But that's impossible," she reasoned with him. "It's only possible to damage a player in safe areas through a duel," she concluded, before leaning back against the wall. "In any case, we can't just ignore this incident. If someone found a way to kill players even in safe areas, then even towns can't be considered a safe place anymore."

"Damn… I hate it, but you're right about that," the lad agreed with a nod of his head.

"We'd need to leave the front lines, but this requires precedence," she spoke out loud, before making her way towards him, startling him. Ignoring it, she raised her hand. "And thus, you will assist me in this case, until all is resolved."

He was about to open up his mouth to say something, but she interrupted.

"And just so you know, that means we won't have enough time for naps," she concluded, finally shutting the lad of anything he was about to say.

"Ok, but…" He took her hand with his, giving it a slight shake with a nervous smile. "I slept, sure, but you slept even longer than me."

"Hnh!" Gasping at his words—

*Twak!*

"AGH!" She applied much force to his hand, and that must have hurt.

* * *

*Tuk. Tuk. Tuk.*

Everyone turned their attention to the tower's entrance, now able to see the Vice Commander of the 'Knights of Blood' and a certain swordsman messaging his right hand.

'Ah, that hurts like heck…' The lad winced as the pain stung his hand, but he ignored it afterwards, proceeding to call out to the crowd. "I, uh… Has anyone, wait, no… Does anyone know what's going on? Earlier, I mean. Really, it'd be nice if you could tell us."

He looked at the crowd before him, but he realised that no one had any such idea. That, was until he remembered the vision he had just earlier. And surely enough—

"When I was here," a purple haired girl stepped out from the crowd. "He was already going through…"

"Sorry about this. It must be hard, for you to lose a friend before your very eyes," Asuna felt sympathetic with the girl before them. "You're probably going through some sort of trauma."

"May we know your name?" Adam inquired, before raising his arms defensively in front of him. "Of course, it wouldn't be fair if we didn't tell yours. I'm Adam, and this is Lady Asuna, the Vice Commander of the 'Knights of Blood'."

"Was the last part really necessary?" Asuna asked with slight annoyance present in her voice.

"Meh," was all the lass got back, sighing a moment after.

"U-Um… Yolko. My name is Yolko," the purple haired girl replied, hands clasped together in front of her.

"No offence, but was it you that screamed earlier?" The lad stopped in his tracks as the rapier wielder sent a glare at his way. "What? It could have been."

'And it is,' a part of him assured him, just as his vision showed him.

"Y-Yeah," just as he had expected. "Earlier, I… I came to have dinner with the man who was murdered."

"Oh, so you're married?" Adam began, but a pained cry escaped him as Asuna jabbed his side with her elbow. "S-Sorry… Please forget that. Continue."

"His name was Caynz, and we were in the same guild before," Yolko explained, tears threatening to escape. She didn't manage to blink them away, and a few trickled down her cheek. "So when we got separated in the plaza, I went to look for him, and-and…"

"You found him hanging from the church window," Adam finished for her, earning himself a nod from the purple haired girl, who immediately covered her mouth with her hands, and Asuna going over to Yolko to comfort her.

"Did you see anyone else at the moment? Anyone at all?" The rapier wielder asked, assuming that it was a case of player-killing.

"It was just for a moment, but…" Yolko trailed off, looking away from the duo for a moment, before speaking up once more. "But I thought I saw someone behind Caynz."

Looking at her partner, Asuna gave a nod, before turning back to Yolko to speak once more.

"Do you know the person? Did he or she look familiar?" Asuna asked.

"N-No…" Yolko answered with a shake of her head.

"This may seem somewhat, what's the word? Odd… But do you have any idea why anyone for the matter would want to kill Caynz?" Adam asked, earning himself a 'No' from the girl.

'I guess I just have to wait for the right moment,' Adam thought to himself, noticing how the purple haired girl's features were suddenly turned into a worried fear.

* * *

Later

Adam and Asuna, worrying for Yolko's safety, decided to walk the purple haired girl back to the inn where she stayed.

It wasn't too far away; it was situated three blocks away from the town's centre, away from all the noise and buzzes. 'yaMahya Lodge', it was called, and Adam couldn't stop himself from whistling in surprise when the inn was rated five stars.

"Forgive me, for having you both to escort me," Yolko apologised.

"You don't need to worry about that," Asuna reassured the other girl. "In any case, if you're fine with it, we could continue our conversation tomorrow."

"O-Of course," Yolko answered with a weak smile, eye briefly landing on Adam, before she lowered herself into a bow, and shutting the door.

"So…" Again, he had to fix his problem of having nothing to say. "What now, Lady Asuna?"

"Let's go over what we do know," the lass suggested, as they began their walk back to the town's centre.

"If we were to trace the spear's origins, it may give us a sort of lead," Asuna suggested.

"We'd need the 'Appraisal' skill then," Adam pointed out. "Which, I could do, buuut… I'm too lazy for that sort of thing."

"Or you don't have it," Asuna added, forcing the lad into a coughing fit.

"I-I do! I can appraise things, I just—Let's just bring it over to someone else," the lad finally said with a sigh. "Plus, you don't have it, so that's that."

"Whatever… And stop addressing me so rudely," Asuna scolded the lad, eliciting a 'Huh?' from him.

"B-But I… Ok, ok, ok… Let's see," wracking up his brain, he came up with a few titles. "How about 'Miss'?" He flinched when she hummed in anger at him. "T-Then, Vice Commander-sama? Flash-sama? Come on, just give me a hint!"

Watching him suddenly smacking the sides of his head, she let out a sigh. She had watched how close he was with others, and still, he was acting as if she was of a higher position than he was! Well, that may be the case, but she didn't want that!

"Just, just call me Asuna," she finally answered the lad, turning away from him.

"O-Oh," he was definitely surprised that he was to call her by her name. "In any case, about the 'Appraisal' skill, I've got a friend who fits the bill. What say you?"

"Friend?" Her eyes narrowed the moment the word escaped his lips. "What job?"

"Merchant," he replied nonchalantly, before his eyes snapped open, and with a blush creeping up his neck and face, much to her confusion. "B-But it's not Argo! I swear! It's another merchant friend of mine!"

Hearing his reassurance, she finally let out a breath of relief. Had it been Argo, she would've just send the rat scurrying away. But it begged the question; why did he blush at the thought of her?

* * *

March 6th 2024, Floor 50—Algade

'It couldn't be that she's… prettier than me?' That thought seemed to bring up a pang of anger in her, accompanied with a mix of disappointment and worry.

Was she not attractive herself? Many men had swooned over her, but Adam? She couldn't remember the last time he had ever looked at her in a way, or at all!

In any case, the duo had finally reached Chinatown-themed town, properly named Algade, which was home to Adam's friend's shop.

The street wasn't too filled, much to the fairy twin's thanks. For, if it was, Adam would have spent the entire time complaining about it to the lass, since he couldn't just talk to them. If he did, he would either be deemed a mad person, or there was something suspicious going on with him.

They arrived in an alleyway, lit up by a few lanterns. Asuna felt unsure at first, but—with Adam confidently striding forwards—she went on anyways.

*Creak.*

Walking out of the wooden door was a tired-looking soldier, who held his spear over his shoulder.

"Thanks for the business! Come again, sir," a familiar voice called out, and the soldier merely waved back without turning around.

"So," Adam began as he leaned at the door, a grin etched onto his face. "How goes the business? Better not be shady, I hope."

"Oh, Adam," the giant of a man, Agil, smiled back at his friend, the latter walking up to the counter top. "I may not be like Argo, but who can blame me? We're different people."

"Yeah, and your motto 'Buy cheap, sell cheap' is working like a fortune, huh?" Adam jested, earning himself a chuckle from his friend, of which he joined in, later on sharing a fist bump with his friend.

"Yeah, I—" Agil paused when Asuna came into view. Gasping in surprise, he pulled the lad over the countertop, the latter's body hanging from the wood. "A-Adam, w-w-what the heck's going on? Why is a solo player like you with ASUNA of all people, huh? Didn't you hate each other or something? Tell me!"

Nervously laughing to herself in the background, Adam merely gave a shake of the head at his friend, the latter not letting up.

* * *

"So, someone got killed in a safe area?" It sounded preposterous, but Agil repeated his friend's words once more anyways. "You sure it wasn't during a duel?"

"We thought of that too, but we didn't see a 'Winner' duel notification on anyone," Adam replied, swapping glances from Agil to the sword, and then back at the giant man.

"And if he was walking with Yolko-san earlier," Asuna chimed in. "It couldn't have been a sleep player-killing either."

"The setup was just too… perfect, too complicated, for it to be just a duel," Adam added, suspicious of the whole situation. "There's no doubt that this was a premeditated murder."

"And then," the lad took a look at the weapon on the table. "There's this. Mind checking it out for us?"

"Huh? Me?" Agil pointed to himself, surprised when Adam gave a nod. "But your 'Appraisal' skill is top-notch. Why are you asking me?"

"Well, you could use this to boost your skill level," Adam pointed out, earning himself a nod from his friend. Immediately, he leaned in to whisper to the lass's ear. "And who said I was lying..?"

"Hmph," huffing away in slight disappointment and annoyance, her cheeks were puffed outwards.

Not wasting a moment, Agil picked up the weapon, before opening a sort of HUD to check on the weapon. Clicking on the icon with the magnifying glass, he waited until the process was complete.

"It's player-made," the giant man informed the other two after the information popped up, surprising both the lad and lass.

"Really?" The lad was fully expecting it to be a monster drop, but hey? Who could complain now. "Do you know who the person that crafted it is?"

"Grimlock," Agil replied, still taking a look at the information screen. "I've never heard him, but I do know that he's not a first-rate sword-smith."

"And what gives you that idea?" Adam asked out of sheer curiosity.

"It's cause' the sword isn't designed to take much hits. It looks like it'll only survive a few good hits, and it'll just end up dead," Agil informed him, until—

"W-Wait a second," his body suddenly freezing, the realisation dawned on him.

* * *

Flashback

" _So," the merchant began, eyes narrowed at his first customer of the day. "What do you think? This sword is pretty high quality. I doubt you'd find the same anywhere else."_

 _The sword was a strange design, no doubt. It had a maroon-red handle, and the blade was red, with a white trim. The shape was that of a—how he described it—a Christmas tree. He was about to buy the sword, due to it looking rather interesting, but he couldn't just rush it now, could he?_

" _Hmm…" Scanning the blade, with his eyes squinted, he could make out tiny cracks adorning the iron weapon. "Nope. Definitely cheap."_

" _C-Cheap?! Now, here me when I say this, this sword is as good as a manganite one!" The merchant stuttered, trying to reason with his customer, fully intent on earning his 'fair' pay. "If you think you can just find—"_

" _I said no, and I'm not buying it. Looks like it'll break after ten strikes. Good day," Having to interrupt the shopkeeper and bid him farewell, the lad turned heels to leave the shop, and it took him some time to readjust to the brightness of the area, curtesy of the darkly-lit room._

* * *

"This sword…" Adam suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu. "I've seen it before. It was on the first day of the game…"

"W-What?" Not believing her ears, she pushed him on. "Do you remember anything about the merchant?"

"N-No," the lad finally answered, disappointed that his memory failed him now. "I can't… I can't remember."

"Obviously. It's been, what? A year or two? Don't feel bad about it," Agil reassured his friend with a peaceful grin.

"In any case," Asuna suddenly spoke up. "This should give us a clue."

"Y-Yeah," Adam nodded in response, before turning to face his male friend. "Just in case, what's the weapon's name?"

"It's called the 'Guilty Thorn'," Agil informed the two, before he passed the blade to Adam.

"Thorn of sin? Damn, good name," the lad whistled as he scanned the blade, before he suddenly twirled the blade around.

"Now then."

"Wait!"

*Ching!*

Stopped mid-way from its target, the 'Guilty Thorn' failed to pierce the flesh of the lad's hand. The swordsman sighed, before turning to look at his companion.

"What is it?" Adam asked nonchalantly, worrying the lass a lot.

"Are you crazy?! Someone was just killed with that weapon!" She scolded him, her grip on the blade not allowing him to push the blade any further. "And you think stabbing yourself with the same weapon is going to solve things?!"

"Y-Yeah, but still!" Adam shrugged with an innocent look, before continuing. "It never hurts to try, you know?"

"Yeeaah, that logic doesn't make a lot of sense," Agil began. Adam merely blew a raspberry at the giant man.

"Yes it does!" The black-cladded lad snapped back.

"I'm not gonna' let you try something so dangerous!" The lass scolded him, unable to accept the fact that he nearly killed—or at the very least, injured—himself. Not bothering to let him say anything in response, she took the blade away from a surprised lad. "This… should be left with Agil-san."

"O-Oh?" He took the blade in his hands, confused at what just happened. "If you say so."

"Maaan…" Adam pouted, not able to do what he intended to do. Maybe there could've been a clue there, but apparently, all hope is lost, accompanied with the cross stare he was being given by the lass.

* * *

March 7th 2024, Floor 57—Martin

It was the next day, and Adam and Asuna decided to meet up with Yolko at the restaurant the two ate at the day prior.

Well, they would have eaten, had none of this happened.

Of course, not having his hunger satiated, a nervously chuckling Yolko and a sighing Asuna watched as Adam down two chicken sandwiches and five cups of water.

"Okay, I'm done," the lad finally said with a smile as he pushed away the emptied plates and cups to the side. Blinking at why the girls were looking at him the way they were, he finally realised something. "Oh? Should I have said 'Would you like to eat as well?' or something?"

"No! You were just—" Asuna sighed, knowing how hard it was to get through Adam's skull. "Let's just forget it. In any case," she became serious once more as she turned to face Yolko. "Yolko-san, do you know a person by the name 'Grimlock'?"

"..!" Jumping slightly at the mention of his name, she nodded a moment later. "Indeed, I do. Caynz and I were part of a guild with him."

"I see…" The puzzle pieces were ready to be put into place, but… It wasn't enough. "Truth is, we had a friend of mine appraise the spear, sword… Whatever it is, the weapon that killed Caynz-san. And we found out that it was created by Grimlock-san."

Eyes snapping wide at that revelation, her mouth was hidden behind her hands not even a minute later.

"In any case, what do you think? Do you think there's any reason of why this happened?" The lad asked a while later, his trepidation fully heightened.

"Y-Yes, I can…" She muttered back, as her fingers began fidgeting with one another.

'Maybe this world should start inventing fidget spinners,' Adam thought to himself, mentally laughing at that thought a moment later.

"I'm… sorry, that I didn't tell you of this yesterday," she apologised. "I just, I want to forget it. It's not something I'd really want to remember."

"However, if this would help you, then I guess I could tell you," she spoke up once more after a while of saying nothing. "The reason of our guild's destruction."

He lifted up a hand to stop her. The strange process that concerned his eye happened once more, but when it came to a stop, he allowed her to continue.

"…Our guild, it was called the 'Golden Apple'. Six months ago, we had defeated a rare monster we encountered, and it dropped a ring that raised one's 'Agility' by twenty levels," Yolko began. "There were some of us who wanted to use it, and there were others who wanted to sell it, which ultimately left the guild divided."

"And what happened?" Adam asked, somewhat curious with the whole story.

"We settled the matter by voting," the purple haired girl answered. "It was a ratio of five to three, in favour of selling it. As such, our leader, Griselda-san, left to stay overnight at a large town on the front lines to sell off the ring in an auction. But…"

"She never came back," Adam finished for her, earning a sad nod from her.

"Later on, we discovered that she died," the girl's tone of voice held a mix of pain and sorrow. "I still don't know what caused her death."

"There's no way anyone would just leave a safe area carrying a rare item, so she must have been sleep player-killed," Adam suggested.

"But sleep player-killing wasn't well known six months ago," Asuna chimed in.

"Damn it…" The lad silently cursed to himself, before he began wondering out loud. "But still, you can't deny that this isn't just some coincidence. Whoever attacked Griselda must've had knowledge about the ring in the first place."

At his words, the purple haired girl turned away to her side, face stretched into a mix of worry of fear.

"One of the seven members of the 'Golden Apple'…" The answer was obvious, and it pained Yolko just to believe what the swordsman had said.

"Okay, so we've got the ones who wanted to sell the ring, and the ones who wanted to keep it," Adam pointed out, turning to face his companion. "So there's a high chance that the one that killed her was one who wanted to keep it."

"So you're saying that they killed her before she consigned it?" Asuna asked.

"I'm putting my gamble on that," the lad replied with a nod, before he faced Yolko once more. "Quick question, who's Grimlock?"

"He-He was Griselda-san's husband," the girl replied.

"Wait, what?" He had definitely not expected that.

"Of course, it was only an in-game marriage," she reassured the baffled lad, her hands raised reassuringly. "Griselda-san was an incredibly powerful swords-woman. She had both the beauty and the intelligence. Grimlock-san was a kind and friendly person who always had a smile on his face. They were truly a great couple, close and loving."

"If Grimlock-san was indeed the murderer, he's probably targeting the three who wanted to keep the ring," Yolko forced out her words, slightly in disbelief with what she said.

"Riiight. And who are the ones that wanted to keep it?" The black haired lad asked, sounding concerned with her next answer.

"Caynz and I were part of the three who opposed against the ring being sold," the purple haired girl answered.

Eyes widening in response, both Adam and Asuna couldn't believe what they were hearing. If she was one of them, then she's—

"Who's the other one?" Adam asked, just as quickly as he regained his composure.

"A tank-player named Schmitt," Yolko answered. "I heard that nowadays, he's a member of the 'Divine Dragon Alliance' of the clearing group."

"Oh? Isn't he the leader of the guild's defenders?" The lad asked his companion, the latter nodding in response.

"He's the one who wields the large lance," Asuna added.

"Wait, you've met with Schmitt before?" The purple haired girl joined in, surprise present in her voice and features.

"Truth be told, I've only seen him during boss fights," Adam admitted, sheepishly grinning as he scratched the back of his head. "His hairstyle isn't too bad though."

"Then, could you arrange a meeting for the two of us?" The girl requested. "There's a chance that he doesn't know about the incident yet. And if so," she relaxed back into her chair. "He might just end up meeting the same fate just as Caynz…"

"Then we'll call Schmitt-san. I know a person in the 'Divine Dragon Alliance', so I think we could organise a meeting if we go to their headquarters," the rapier wielder who sat beside the swordsman suggested, earning herself a nod from both people.

"If so, it'd be best if we don't leave you alone, Yolko," Adam chimed in, looking fearful as he spoke. "Being alone… There's no possibility that you'd be left alone. As such, let us escort you to your inn. Stay there until we get back, understood?"

"Understood," she weakly replied.

* * *

The duo were now walking down an alleyway, ignoring the fact that it was currently raining. It was wet, cold—for some reason—and slippery. Thankfully, none of them had slipped or fell, so that was good.

"So," Asuna broke the silence first. "How do you think the incident happened in the first place?"

"Well, there are three possibilities that came to mind," Adam began, before he gently swept his fingers across the cold, stony walls. "First off, a fair duel. Second one is the use of a complicated system exploit. And the last one is… Wait, no. Never mind."

"What?" Not being told of the third reason bugged her, so the lass pushed him for answers. "What's the third method?"

"It's the use of an unknown skill that could bypass the system of safe areas," the black haired lad finally answered her. "But I said it was impossible cause' it's unfair. Loathe as I am to say it, but 'Sword Art Online's' rules have been designed to be as fair as it possibly could. I doubt safe area murders would be encouraged like that."

"Aaah, this sucks…" The lad sighed, his arms folding behind his head a moment later.

* * *

 _They left, and had prepared to encounter the third individual._

 _This was a case of mystery, and death itself had weighed heavily on his mind. The First AI couldn't deny, that it wasn't easy to tackle and solve._

 _And yet, he wouldn't give up. He'd stand back up, and fight. He'd end it all. Even if it was the last thing he'd do._

 _That was just the type of person he is._


	9. Chapter 8

"Don't let me down!" - Speech

'You look familiar…' - Thoughts

" _The war was over."_ \- Flashback

*Whoosh!* *Tzzz!* - Sound effects

" **This isn't good!"** \- Tatl / Tael Speech

' **How in the world?'** \- Tatl / Tael Thoughts

* * *

'`Chapter 8: The One Behind the Mask'`

 _It was a turn of events._

 _The guild 'Golden Apple' forgotten and disbanded over the months, in the end it became nothing more than a story._

 _But the First AI was not about to give up now. He had gone long enough, trying to piece together the pieces that were laid before him._

 _And now, the time to end it all has come._

* * *

March 7th 2024, Floor 57—Martin

"We'll call you later on," Adam reassured the unnerved rapier wielder, the latter only nodding in response.

"I'm… I'm very sorry, for bothering you with all of this," she apologised.

She wasn't lying; she felt bad for having to trouble others with her guild's matters. But there wasn't anything else that she could do. He'd find out soon enough, just as he had identified everything else, and he'd hate her.

He would hate her, curse her, even see her as non-existent.

But even so…

"Nah, it's no problem, really!" The black haired swordsman reassured the girl, his awards-winning smile present on his face. "Just make sure to call Asuna in case things go down and the like."

"Of course," Yolko nodded, before she gave a bow, and shutting the door behind her.

"Well, that's that," the girl heard Adam muttering to himself as he clapped his hands together, twice, before he made his way towards Asuna. "Wait up!"

"Jeez, you don't need to make a ruckus, you know? I'm not going anywhere," this time, it was Asuna who spoke, sweat-dropping as the lad finally arrived beside her, his smile small, but pleasant.

* * *

Later

Carrying out the end of their deal, Asuna had contacted the 'Divine Dragon Alliance', requesting that one of their own, Schmitt, be called off from the front lines.

And there was a really high chance that none of it could have happened in the first place.

Being in the front lines, it was certainly a hearty distance away from where he was called to. Reluctance had almost forced Schmitt to ignore the lass's pleas, that is, until she brought up his ex-guild associate's name, of which he immediately asked for a leave, which was—with a sigh—granted by the guild's leader.

Arriving at the town, it took a moment for Schmitt to navigate around the area, until Adam had come running around from the corner, wide smile and waving, and being directed to the inn that the lad had instructed Yolko to stay in.

Arriving in the living room, Adam and Schmitt were presented with a smooth stone furnace in the left corner of the room, a large wooden table to his left, a gaping hole in the wall that acted as the window, an ornate red carpet in the centre, and two chairs opposite of each other, with a round, single table in the centre.

Ignoring all the minor details of the room, which was something the lad would often lose himself in doing, Adam could spot Yolko and Asuna already in the room; the former was sitting at the chair away from the door and closer to the window, with the latter standing arms-length away from the other chair.

With a gentle gesture, the lad instructed the gigantic man to take a seat; the one that was closer to Asuna. Adam had decided to take a seat on the large wooden table, crossing his legs a moment later, seeing as he'd rather sit on anything than on the floor.

It took them a while to explain everything to Schmitt, and every once in a while, Schmitt couldn't help but gasp at what he heard.

With the explanation a done deed, the large man began thinking, his hand grasping his chin and his left leg was shaking with worry. Sweat began to slowly trickle down from his forehead, and Adam could swear that he saw the large man's single tear of fear—it went unnoticed by anyone else—mix with the rest of his sweat.

"Did Grimlock really craft that weapon, the one that killed Caynz?" The large man asked, the trickle of sweat present on the side of his face beginning to grow bigger, and threatening to drop.

"…Yes," Yolko answered, making a small nod as she spoke.

"..!" Gasping at the conformation, he immediately stood from his seat, surprising the lad in the process. "I don't get it! I mean, why did Caynz get killed after all this time?! He couldn't… Was he the one that stole the ring? Was he the one who killed Griselda?"

*Bang!*

The lad flinched once more, almost letting out a yelp, when the large man had sent a blow at the table with his fist.

"Is Grimlock killing us just because we didn't agree to selling the ring?" Schmitt wondered out loud, face contorted into a fearful expression. He planted his forehead in his gauntlet, sweat dropping to the floor a moment later. "Are we being targeted as well..?"

"Grimlock-san may have been the one who made the spear, but someone else could've used it," Yolko pointed out, which forced the black haired lad's mind gears to start grinding. "Or maybe…"

*Fwoo~!*

"Griselda-san is taking revenge," the girl added as the wind suddenly blew, adding to the effect.

Schmitt rose back into a straight sitting position the moment his past guild associate said those words.

"After all, killing in a safe area can only be done," she paused to let the words to sink it. "By a ghost."

"G-Ghost..?" Asuna definitely shuddered at that thought.

'Don't tell me…' Adam mentally deadpanned to himself, nervously smiling on the exterior. 'That she's scared of ghosts..?'

"I… had been thinking about it last night," Yolko began as she stood from her seat, before she broke down into a maddening cry. "It doesn't matter who did it, everyone in the guild is responsible for Griselda-san's death in the end!" She buried her face in both hands, teeth gritted. "We should've never voted on the ring! We should've just let Griselda-san decide everything!"

Merely blinking at her words, Adam couldn't help but worry about what she said. Ghost? It was a farfetched thing, but… What if it did happen? What if, despite having the NerveGear effectively breaking her mind, it had kept her memory and data, turning her into a vengeful being?

He broke out of his thoughts when he saw movement from his vision; later proved by Yolko slowly moving to lean on the window.

"There was one person… Grimlock-san thought it was wise for Griselda-san to decide," she said. "That's why he has the right… To avenge her, by taking our lives in exchange for hers."

"D-D-Don't screw w-with me…" Schmitt was shaking, rather horribly, Adam thought. "Th-This has got to be some sort of sick joke… After all this time, half a year has passed, so why now..?!"

He rose from his chair, eyes wide in fear and sweat everywhere on his face.

"Don't tell me you're just gonna' accept that, Yolko!" The man roared at her, voice breaking at the end of his statement. "Are you alright with having your life mysteriously taken away?!"

"Jeez, calm down, peeps," Adam muttered, loud enough for everyone to hear him, before he got off from the table to stand by Schmitt's side. "In any case, what's your answer, Yolko?"

"…" She was silent for a while, before she opened her mouth to—

*Chik!*

Body suddenly jolting forwards in response to a sound, it took them a while to notice…

That she died.

Eyes wide in horror, and body slowly losing all energy, she weakly got a grip over the window's edge, before she finally—

"Wait!" Adam roared, running towards the girl, who had ultimately plummeted to her death.

*Thud!* *Krrh!* *Ching!*

The sound of body making impact with a hard medium resounded through the area, accompanied with a dagger dropping a while later after the body materialised into nothing more than pixels.

'Son of a—' The lad stopped himself, before any unnecessary words had escaped his thoughts.

But what caught his immediate attention, after he watched a player die once more before his eyes, was the slight movement in the top of his vision. He looked up, and…

Off in the distance stood a figure cloaked in black. With his presence acknowledge, the figure made a break on the rooftops.

"Asuna, you stay there with Schmitt!" The lad roared, as he took a few steps back, and—

*Tk.* *Whoo!*

Perform a massive leap towards the other house. Making contact with the house roof, he didn't let up, only deciding to continue his chase. His attention was solely placed on the figure, but that didn't mean that he didn't hear the lass's scream.

Quickly pacing through the rooftops, it didn't take much time until Adam finally caught up with the figure; just a good feet away, at most.

'Ohh, no!' Already anticipating what the figure was about to do, he pulled out three picks, before lunging them directly at the figure.

*Tcng!*

'What the..!' The attack failed! A purple barrier had blocked the picks, and before he knew it—

*Krrh!*

The figure had warped away, leaving behind trails of pixels and colours.

The lad stopped in his tracks, furiously disappointed in himself, made his way back to the inn.

* * *

yaMahya Lodge, the same five stars lodge Yolko had stayed in, before…

'Before she died…' Adam finished his thoughts, clicking his tongue when the picture of her dying appeared in his mind.

Again, he had failed to save the life of an innocent. The life of a person who—this fact troubled him very much—had done absolutely nothing! She was dragged into this hell called 'Sword Art Online' by the game's creator, and she had to live every single day of her life worrying whether she would make it out alive or not!

"How could I let this happen..?" He asked himself again, mind furiously increasing the pressure on himself.

He had managed to cut down the GeoCrawler incident, but… Could it really have been his plan? It was Ruru's, after all, and he had merely suggested it to the clearing group. It wasn't even his tactic to begin with! It wouldn't have been crazy to call it plagiarism!

And that bugged him very much so.

What did that mean? Did it mean that he had no other use, than to brandish a sword in the direction of his foes, and cut them down as if they meant nothing? He had hoped not, for staining his hands with the blood of others certainly seemed cruel.

And it was. Taking a life of another person in the real world was obviously a sin, and the higher-ups had pushed this law very strongly onto their people. Wars were a thing, but they had ceased, and peace reigned the lands. And now? It was a war; a digital war.

"God, what could have I done?" The question bore a hole through his skull, and wracking up his brain didn't help now.

He could have prevented it! He hated the fact that it was possible, but only because he failed at doing so! Now, not only did Caynz die, hung from a tower with a noose to his neck and a sword in his gut, but it also meant that he had to face Yolko as well, who was struck with a dagger to her back, in either Heaven or—

"No," he shook his head furiously. "I shouldn't have even thought that. If anything, I should be the one to go to Hell. But now… Time to focus on the living."

Deciding to let it go, the lad returned to the dead girl's room, twisting the door's knob, and—

"You idiot!" He was greeted with the same lass he had decided to team up with to solve the case, and it made things worse when she had her rapier out of her sheathe, directed at him. "Don't be so impulsive!"

"The moment caught up with me…" Adam weakly reasoned with her, flinching when she clicked her tongue, and sighing in relief a moment later when she sheathed her weapon once more.

"Well?" She began, looking somewhat expectant. "Did you catch him?"

"N-Nay… He got away with a Teleport Crystal before I even had a chance to stop him," the lad informed his companion. "Damn it…" His fists were balled, so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and the left hand gripped the murder weapon. "Inns were designed to be safe, so I thought we'd be protected here…"

*Thud!*

"Damn it!" The lad roared as he stomped his feet against the floor.

"That robe…" The two heard Schmitt, and his voice was shaky, uneven. "That was Griselda's… That was Griselda's ghost… She came back from the dead to seek revenge..!" The room felt even heavier, only increasing when the gigantic man chuckled a scared one. "If she's a ghost, then player-killing is easy..! It's simple! GhAHAHa!"

Seeing the man so… broken, so scared, Adam felt worried, so he decided to join in the conversation.

"I have high doubts that that was a ghost," he corrected the gigantic man. "There's no way these safe area murders are being committed by a ghost…"

"What makes you so sure about that?" Asuna asked, and the lad could sense a small sense of relief washing over her.

"I don't know… But, it's a gut feeling, and I can't help but trust it," the lad said back, before turning to his companion. His mouth opened, but no words came out.

* * *

Night

"I wonder…" Asuna mumbled to herself, before she spoke a bit louder. "I wonder if the one who wore Griselda's robe was indeed her ghost… I mean, we've seen something so impossible twice. I'm starting to think that that might be the case."

"As if. There's no way that the figure was a ghost," Adam retorted. "I mean, if that really was a ghost, then why would it need a Teleport Crystal to—"

He suddenly trailed off, mind suddenly piecing some foreign puzzles together.

"What is it?" The lass asked.

"…" The picture never did draw itself in the end, and a sigh escaped him afterwards. "Nah, it's nothing."

Mind troubled with all of this, Adam rested his chin on his right palm, already looking as if he had zoned out. Silence danced in between the two, with the only source of noise coming from the fountain in front of them and the crowd walking around the area.

'How..?' He asked himself for the tenth time. 'How is this all possible?'

It was definitely bizarre. The creator of the game may have been what others called 'sociopathic', but Adam said otherwise. To the lad, the creator was fair, and he ruled the world with a steel might. He had never gone beyond his position to harm players, so there was no way he'd allow something like this.

'But then…' He thought once more. 'Why is he not doing anything?'

The answer came a moment later.

'Because he doesn't care…' he concluded.

The creator of the game had been fair with all his rules, ensuring that everyone played as how they wanted to. And yet, despite all his equality and the like, he had allowed the existence of red-players, which acted as a constant reminder that he was 'testing' them. This was an examination, to see whether or not they had the determination and skill to make it out alive.

And Adam would've thought even more, until—

"Here."

"Eh..?"

An item, wrapped in pink cloth, was floating in front of his eyes. However, it was immediately clear that there was a hand holding it up. Tracing the hand to the arm, he finally recognised it as Asuna's.

"For me?" Adam asked, pointing his finger at himself. This seemed to tick the lass off.

"Who else am I trying to hand this to?" She sounded insulted, and she wasn't even trying to hide her anger. "Do you think I'm mocking you?"

"W-What? No!" Surprised at what she had even suggested, he merely took the item with a nod. "T-Thank you."

With the item now placed on his lap, he slowly unfolded the pink cloth.

"It'll expire and disappear soon," she informed him. "So you should eat it quickly."

"R-Right," he nodded once more, before—

*Ck.*

Sinking his teeth into the sandwich.

'..!' He could taste the freshness of the meat, accompanied with the crunchy texture of the lettuce, the smooth tomatoes, and the softness of the bread.

Pulling himself away, he allowed himself to digest everything, before—

"DELICIOUS!"

"Ehhe..?!"

He suddenly roared out loud in the centre of the town. He ignored the looks of everyone in the area, and had returned to eating, leaving his companion slightly flustered.

"W-What the heck was that for?!" She scolded him, blush not faltering in the slightest.

"I only voiced out what I thought of the sandwich!" Adam chirped, before letting loose a toothy grin; it was possible to see bits of lettuce stuck in between his teeth. "And it was just divine!"

"O-Oh…" Her face burned even more at the intense compliment, before she decided to pull out her own sandwich.

"Damn, I didn't know you could cook! You must be a pro!" Adam said, before he bit the sandwich once more.

"I-I see," she lacked anything else to say, before she looked away from him. "Just, don't do things like that anymore…"

"Roger!" The lad happily cried out, stopping to remove a tomato piece from his bottom jaw, and returning to eat the sandwich. "You know, if you decided to put this up for auction, you'd be a millionaire."

"..!" Slightly infuriated with what he had said—

*Thud!*

"Aah!" The lad accidentally dropped his food..!

*Krrh!*

Before he watched the sandwich break into pixels and colours.

"I don't have anymore," she said, before returning to her sandwich.

'Wait a second…' An idea suddenly clicked in the lad's mind, before he suddenly shouted out, but not as loud as before. "That's it!"

"What's it?" She seemed lost at what the lad was trying to imply. If anything, you'd never know what crazy things he'd say next.

"Asuna…" He whispered, but it reached her ears nonetheless. "We never saw anything… We thought we did, but it was a whole different story…"

"Huh?" She felt confused even more.

"Safe area murders, they aren't possible. There wasn't any skill or item that could have made that possible in the first place," his pointing-out shocked her to the core.

"So, what's going on?" She was about to push him for answers, when he suddenly rose his arm to keep her at arms-length.

*Krrh…*

A faint sound could be heard nearby. Gazing at her surroundings, she couldn't find anything out of the ordinary.

"I have it all pieced out…" Adam suddenly spoke up, before he turned to face the lass. "I know what's going on."

Surprised at what he had just said, she kept silent, acting as his cue to continue.

"T-They're still alive. They weren't killed at all…" His face contorted into a fearful grimace. "And they're in trouble…"

"What do you mean?" She pocketed the sandwich, knowing that it was no use to eat it now.

"We've got to get there, now," his tone of voice was serious, cold, and it helped in sending a shiver up her spine.

* * *

Floor 19—Hill of the Cross

The area was described as 'dead', due to the lack of sunlight, and the dreadful mist that hid monsters and other threats. The trees weren't any better; each of them looked like a pillar of sticks, and it looked as if they were threatening to lash out at anything or anyone.

But it was also an important place of the 'Golden Apple' guild. How so?

This was where Griselda, leader of the guild, was buried at.

"Griselda…" Schmitt began, looking down at the tombstone that wrote the details about her. "There is nothing I can do, but… beg for your forgiveness."

The tombstone was plain and simple; a single slab in the ground, with strange cryptic writings present on the surface of the tombstone. The dead leaves had already been shed, and it covered the ground very well.

"I'm sorry!" He got down into a bowing position, eyes clenched tight. "I really am! Please, forgive me, Griselda!"

"I-I never thought that that would happen!" He admitted, sweat threatening to trickle down from his forehead and face.

The silence was dreadful, and there had been nothing to break it. With silence dancing through the area, all there was the mist, the boulders, the dark sky, the sticks for trees, the dead leaves that buried the earth, Griselda's tombstone, and hi—

"Really?"

"H-Huh..?"

A faint voice called out to the gigantic man, the latter beginning to enter a panic.

"Really?" It definitely wasn't his voice. He looked all around him, but still seeing nothing.

"Really?" His trepidation was increasing rapidly now, and it took every ounce of his willpower to not break into a screaming fit here and now.

*Chsh!*

"Haa!" Something was behind him!

Swiftly turning around—

*…*

He was met eye-to-eye with an orange ragout-rabbit, that sat there, staring back at him with red, expecting eyes, before it finally disappeared off into the mist, its ribbon-like ears trailing right behind it as it hopped away.

"…" Face turned one hundred and eighty degrees, he never even did notice the fact that 'something' was standing right in front of him. "Haa…" Sighing a moment later, with slight relief, he turned to face his front once more, before—

"What did you do..?"

"..!"

Mouth instantly buried in his gauntlets, Schmitt could only sit there, eyes threatening to bulge out of their sockets, as a cloaked figure stood before him.

"What did you do to me," the figure spoke, as he pulled out a sword, the exact same sword that was stained with both Griselda's and Caynz's blood. "Schmitt?"

"A-A-AghHA…" The armoured man didn't even put any effort into hiding his fear, and already he was broken in fear. And yet, his consciousness and sanity were still intact, and quickly he lowered himself into a bowing position.

"O-O-On the day we decided to a-auction the ring," he began with a shaky voice, which also described his body. "I-I found a crystal and memo in my b-b-belt pouch, and with instructions saying—"

"Whose, Schmitt..?" The figure asked, the blade in his grip not being sheathed at all. "Whose instructions was it?"

…

"G-G-Grimlock..?" The bowing knight could now make out another figure enter the scene; another wooden figure. "Y-Y-Y-You're dead too?"

"Enlighten us, Schmitt. Who gave you the memo?" The second hooded figure asked.

"I-I don't know! I swear!" Schmitt cried back, more sweat beginning to form on the surface of his face. "The memo… It just told me to get access to Griselda's room by setting it as the destination of the corridor teleport crystal, a-and to put it in the guild bank…"

"Is that so?" The second hooded figure asked once more, adding a hint of venom in his voice, which helped in sending a shiver down the supposedly unshakable man.

"T-That's all I did, honest!" The knight roared as he lowered himself down even more. "I never in-intended to help the murderer. Please! Believe me!"

…A moment passed, and there was nothing said between the three. Schmitt was still in the same position as he was in from earlier, bowing with his forehead already touching the rocky soil, and the two cloaked figures that he had appropriately deemed Griselda's and Grimlock's vengeful spirits, and he desperately prayed, at that very moment, that they would forgive him and that he'd—

"We recorded everything, Schmitt."

"..!"

* * *

Meanwhile

*Tuk tuk tuk!*

"Holy cow!"

"Adam, wait up!"

Not bothering with the lass's pleas, the black haired swordsman kept running, keeping a good pace towards a destination in mind.

'Damn it, we can't be late now!' Just the thought of failing again stung him a lot. 'I have to succeed this time! I can't—'

"ADAM!"

"E-Eh?"

Ceasing in his tracks, he could very well see now that the lass that he had forced to follow her. Finally getting the chance to catch her breath, she did so, before she put on a cross expression.

"Did you seriously need to suddenly run?!" She half-yelled half-sighed at him, chest puffing in and out as she breathed.

"Yes, cause' we've got an emergency!" The lad whined back.

"And wh-what's this 'emergency' that required running?" Asuna mockingly asked, but her tire had done much in cracking much of the confidence.

"Because…" Adam trailed off for a moment, turning away from her, before he faced her once more. "They're alive. Yolko and Caynz, they're not dead."

"B-But…" She didn't know what to say at this revelation.

"Think about it, Asuna. In safe areas, a player's HP won't drop just like that," Adam pointed out, earning a hum of agreement from his companion—and a silent one from his fairy friends. "However, objects like the sandwich expire."

"Okay… But what does this have anything to do with our case?" Asuna asked, still not capturing the bigger picture.

"Well, remember how Caynz quote unquote 'died' back then? He was impaled by the spear," the lad explained. "But the weapon wasn't cutting down Caynz's HP, but rather his armour's durability. And seriously though, he seemed good at acting. Faking his inability to pull out the weapon, he was actually trying to keep the effect going, until it was time for him to leave."

"T-Then… What shattered back then was…" The realisation finally dawned on her.

"Mmhm. It was just his armour, not him," Adam replied with a nod. "So, when his armour's durability had reached nil, he had to time it right. Whilst he still wore the armour… He used a teleporting crystal to warp away."

Seeing her mouth slightly open at his explanation—he assumed she was slightly confused, he paused to let his words sink in.

"If you relate this to the sandwich, then it's exactly that. What we both saw was an effect that was so similar to the death effect, yet was completely different," Adam finally concluded, hanging his arms behind his head.

"Then, what about Yolko-san?" Asuna asked. Certainly a worth to explain there, Adam reasoned with himself.

"It didn't feel right at the time, but looking back at it now… I noticed how, the entire time, she had been talking to us with her back turned away from her," the lad pointed out. "Probably to hide the dagger stuck in her back."

"The whole time?" The lass asked once more, earning herself a nod.

"Yeah. You and I never got a glance of her back, let alone Schmitt. She had to continue monitoring her armour's durability decreasing as she conversed with us," the raven haired lad answered. "So, when her time of act was close to its finale, she faked her 'attack', acting as if she was indeed struck by a dagger from outside."

"Then…" All the information pointed out definitely seemed to confuse her. If anything, Asuna had only gained the major facts. Everything else were still hazy. "The figure in the robes…"

"That was, in no way, Grimlock," the lad confirmed her suspicions. "Most probably was Caynz himself."

Not speaking for a moment, which was really—to be honest—to let Asuna absorb all this knowledge, he thought back on what he had just discovered. Faking their deaths was a manoeuvre that had a high risk of failing. And yet, they managed to pull it off. It would've definitely stirred an outrage—at them—had none of it worked, so truly, their first phase was good and done.

"Yolko and Caynz had both thought this method through, to fake their deaths in the eyes of the public," Adam added. "Not only that, it'd help in instilling fear in everyone by faking their supposed safe area murders."

And it didn't just limit to the regular players. Even he himself felt slightly shaken at what he had just seen. Seeing a person die in front of you, when it wasn't supposed to happen, when all the chances of it happening in the first place was almost non-existent, it definitely felt surreal.

And it was without doubt that everyone bought the act. He and Asuna did too, at one point.

"And I've no doubt that they're doing all this to find out who's the culprit behind the ring incident, and probably expose him. Putting all their cards into play, with their deaths and all, they've succeeded in creating a phantom avenger. Schmitt was probably under suspicion the whole time," the lad finally concluded with a sigh. "Oh yeah, Yolko's still on your friend list, right?"

"Yeah," the lass replied, before she popped open a HUD, going to the 'Friends List' to check on Yolko, before she finally traced her area on a map. "She's at a field on the nineteenth floor. At a small hill a short ways from the town area."

"If so," unexpected to the lass, he took her hand in his—blush formed on her face, he broke into a run. "That's where we're going!"

* * *

"R-Recorded..?" Schmitt repeated the purplette's words, that single word ringing in his head a few good times. Seeing the crystal in the girl's hand shining and floating, he finally dropped to his legs. "So that's what's going on… You both cared so much for Griselda…"

"And you didn't hate her either, right?" Caynz asked, which brought the armoured man to stutter.

"O-Of course not!" Schmitt cried back, before he turned to face the gravels below. "I mean… It's true that because of the rare weapon that I bought with the extra money, I was able to clear the entrance requirement for the 'Divine Dragon Alliance', but still…"

*Ching!* *Thud!*

"Kh..!"

"Hha..!"

Feeling the numbing sensation biting at his skin, Schmitt dropped down to the earth a moment later. Neither Yolko nor Caynz had made a move the entire time, and—with much difficulty—he turned his face to glance at his shoulder. Right there, just where the neck was about to meet with the shoulder, there was a red mark clear on the skin, with a bright purple dagger buried slightly halfway in the wound.

And when he took a look at his health bar…

'P-Paralysis..?' He had just been attacked with some sort of elemental weapon.

*Ching!*

"Hha..!"

"Shhh…"

Schmitt had let out an—much to his self-chagrin—unmanly yelp in response to the sudden sensation of a cold, metallic object pressed against his flesh, revealed to be one of the hooded figures, who merely placed a finger to his lips as he blew a whispery shush.

"You wouldn't want anything to happen to you," the figure began, and the armoured knight was able to make out a familiar, a well-feared, symbol on the figure's arm. "Or your friends, do you?"

"Y-You're from the 'Laughing Coffin' guild, huh..?" Just speaking the name was enough to bring the man to a shudder.

"Of course, what else?" The figure with the weapon laughed off the man's fears. "And as such, I think it's time we end this little charade. We'll end you, and—"

*Tukutuk tukutuk tukutuk!*

"Hmm?"

"Huh..?"

Looking off in the distance, everyone could now make out the outlines of a stallion riding towards them. The rider's outlines were still too blurry to make out, until—

*Neigh!* *Thud!*

"Allie-oop!" A familiar voice huffed as he dropped from his animal ride, before whispering his thanks into the beast's ear, and giving a light blow to the horse's bottom, sending it off in the opposite direction from whence it came from.

"A-Adam?" None of them had remotely thought that the black-cladded swordsman would be here, of all people!

"Well then, what's your course of action from here?" The lad asked as he made his way towards the hooded figures, blade gripped in his right hand. "Reinforcements will be swarming the area soon. Trust me, you wouldn't want to try facing off against thirty players from the clearing group. Unless… You're asking for suicide?"

With a good distance kept away from the threats, Adam had pulled out his blade from his sheath, immediately directing his weapon at the threats before him.

Just from where he stood, he could feel the intensity behind the lad's aura. It felt so pressuring, almost enough to suffocate the leader…

*Snap!*

Immediately, the soldiers by his side sheathed their blades in quick motions. Apparently, their leader had seen it fit to put safety first, before they let themselves suffer at the hands of their own enemies.

"We're leaving," the leader muttered, loud enough for his other compadres to hear, before the three finally began moving away from the area, following in the direction the lad had just came from.

But never had Adam put into consideration of sheathing his blade. Rather, he kept it drawn, in case anything could happen. And never had he turned his back to them, immediately turning to watch them disappear off into the fog.

Figures growing blurry, it didn't take much time for them to finally… Disappear.

"Phew…" Letting out a breath of relief, he sheathed his blade once more. "Well, it's good to see that you guys are alive, at the very least."

"I… I planned to give you my proper apologies after all of this was over…" She sadly spoke. "But I'd doubt you'd believe me, even if I did."

'Wait, does that mean that I'm not worth of an apology..?' The lad mentally mused to himself.

"I'm really thankful that you saved us," the lad turned to face Schmitt, who was now regaining his movement ability. "But how did you know? That those three would attack us?"

"…" Pausing for a moment, he placed his index finger on his lips, looking as if in thought, before flashing a tiny grin at the knight. "I was just seeing things," he cheekily replied, before facing the cloaked man and girl. "Yo, Caynz, Yolko. You guys asked Grimlock to make the weapon in the first place, right?"

Turning to face the older man, Yolko mirrored the latter's movement, nodding when she was given his approval.

"He was… unwilling, at first. He said he wanted to let Griselda-san to rest in peace," she admitted, hands clasped together under the cloak.

"But as we continuously pleaded, he finally gave in and crafted them for us," Caynz added a moment later.

"Yeah. Unfortunately, when you talked of avenging his wife's death, of course Grimlock couldn't back down," the lad concluded with a shrug, which gained everyone's immediate attention. "He thought that if you staged something as crazy as safe area murders, and attracted the attention of many, someone would find out soon enough. And to think that I just realised that thirty minutes ago…"

* * *

Earlier

"Just great…" The lad repeated for the third time, having his arms act as a sort of pillar for his head, before it drops to the dinner table. Yes, they're now in a restaurant. "I got fooled by Yolko, but I wonder why it doesn't bother me too much."

"Same here, then," Asuna added, which broke a tiny smile on the lad's face. "Actually…"

"Hmm?" He perked up, ready to listen.

"Say that you were wearing their shoes, what would've you done with the rare drop?" The lass asked, curious as to what his answer was.

"Truth be told, I became a solo player to avoid conflicts such as those. That's just one reason, of course," the lad admitted with a shrug.

"In my case, I'd let the person who picked it up be the one to keep it," Asuna replied. "It has, and always will be, my guild's rule. In 'Sword Art Online', there's no way to tell who got what unless someone announced their drops. So, to avoid trouble that could arise from that, our rule is ideal, don't you think so?"

"Yeah, I can see what you mean," the lad happily replied, before taking a sip from his already cold tea cup.

"And because of that, in-game marriages actually mean something," she added, resulting in the lad raising his eyebrow in confusion. "I mean, if you get married, then your item storage becomes linked with your partner's. All the things that you would've been able to hide before, they'd all be seen with marriage."

'Huh…' Marriage never did seem something of his interest, the lad would admit, but it felt nice when it became a topic to discuss about.

"Storage sharing. It really is a pragmatic system, and yet, I think it's actually really romantic," she admitted, smile not even fading.

"Here you are!"

"Thanks!"

"Thank you."

A waitress arrived at the table, serving a few plates of food and glasses of water, all the while accepting the customers' thanks. She gave a short bow, before making her way back to the kitchen.

"Man, that just begs the question…" The lad muttered to himself, but it reached the lass's ears nonetheless.

"What?" She asked.

"Have you actually ever been in a marital relationship, Asuna?"

"..!"

*Chin!*

"Yeeh!" Just as quick as his question had left his lips, it was as quick as when she took the fork in her grip, and immediately directing it right in his face. "Wait, wait, wait! Peace, please! I mean, you've been talking all about how marriage was so romantic and pragmatic, it got me curious!"

"Jeez, I said it cause' the whole marriage system is practical!" She huffed, putting down the fork back from where she took it.

"Wait, practical?" He definitely didn't expect her to define marriage that way.

"Only 'Sword Art Online's' in-game marriage, I mean," she corrected the lad, whom let out an understanding hum. "I mean, it's straightforward, what with the inventory sharing."

"Wait a minute," a sudden idea clicked in his mind. "What about the items? What if the spouse dies? The inventories are linked, so what if one of the spouse goes to Heaven or Hell?"

"You know, you could've just said 'They died'…" She sweat-dropped at the lad. "But, if you're talking about Griselda-san and Grimlock-san… Well, if one of them dies, it uh…"

"The items go to the last person alive, right?" He suggested, which forced the lass's eyes wide open.

"Wait. If so, that means the ring in Griselda-san's inventory was…" The answer finally clicked in her.

"There's no way the murderer got the ring at all. I'm putting my gamble on the ring being in Grimlock's inventory," the lad said, looking deep in thought. "And to add to the finisher, it was indeed stolen. Grimlock stole the ring, with the usage of the shared inventory."

And that was enough to elicit a gasp from his companion.

* * *

"Grimlock…" It was impossible to think of such outrageous thing, but with all the evidence and explanations laid out, it seemed possible now. "So he was the one that wrote the memo and killed Griselda?"

"Nah. I doubt that he actually didn't carry out in person," Adam corrected the knight. "Rather, he must have hired a red player to assassinate her."

"W-What?" It didn't make sense! "If he's the culprit, then why did he agree to our plan?"

"I've no doubt that you've explained your plan to him, right?" The lad asked back to Yolko, who immediately fell into silence. "Think about it. With your plan, he'd be able to hide the truth behind the ring incident forever."

"Schmitt, Yolko, Caynz…" He could hear the rushing footsteps of a person off in the distance. "He just needed all three of you, the witnesses, in the same place, just to kill you off."

"S-So that's why the player-killing guild came here," Schmitt felt sick at the realisation.

"Mmhm. No doubt that Grimlock had contacted them to take you guys out of the picture," Adam nonchalantly concluded, but not without noticing the presence of two other beings coming closer. "And here we have him, the mastermind."

Looking in the direction where the lad faced, everyone could now see Asuna, walking towards them with a familiar face in tow.

"Hello, everyone. It's been quite the while, huh?" The figure calmly spoke, keeping a smile on his face.

"G-Grimlock-san…" Just seeing his leader was enough to scare Schmitt to his core, added with all the suspense and fear he had to deal with earlier. "Did you…"

"Why, Grimlock-san?!" Yolko suddenly cried out, small tears already formed in her eyelids. "Did you really… Really need the money, that you killed your own wife, Griselda-san, and stole the ring?! Why?!"

"Money… You say?" Grimlock chuckled at their assumption, before his smile immediately dropped. "No, oh no. It was never for the money. I… I had no choice but to kill her. While she was my wife…"

He paused, searching for his words, all the while letting all his previous words sink in everyone.

"Truth be told, we were married in the real world as well," Grimlock confessed, surprising everyone in the area. "She was the perfect and ideal wife, I would've never even thought of taking another's hand. She was adorable and loyal, right til' the end. And we've never even argued even once. And yet… When she came to this world, she became different."

'Changed?' Adam hadn't expect anything to happen to a person when they played a game. 'I wonder if it's for the good or the bad.'

"I was a coward, panicking as I was forced to play this death game. Compared to her real-world self, she was much more energetic and lively in-game," his explanation seemed to make no sense, but Grimlock continued anyways. "I had to accept it… That Yuuko, my beloved wife, was gone!"

"And in that case… In this world, where murders went unpunished… I had to," his face had taken a mad look now, what with all his features contorted and stretched into a twisted smile. "Lock Yuuko away, to remain immortal in my memories. Who would blame me for a reason like that?!"

"Uhhh…" All this while, Adam had been trying to process all the words the man had said, before he finally gave up with a sigh. "My head hurts… And now, you're telling me that you killed her for a reason like that? God, can't things just be a bit simpler..?"

"It was more than enough reason to," Grimlock retorted, his calm demeanour slowly replenishing. "You'll understand it someday, thing. When you're about to lose the love that you just obtained."

"…" He had decided to take every words into consideration, but… 'Thing, huh..?'

"No, you're the one that doesn't understand a thing here, Grimlock-san," Asuna finally spoke up as she moved to the lad's side. "What you felt for Griselda-san, it wasn't love," she instantly turned to face him, face stretched into unrestrained anger. "You only treasured her as a possession! As an item!"

"..!"

"Ouch, harsh…"

Hearing her words, it didn't take too long for Grimlock to finally drop to his knees, all the while hearing the lad comment on her remark. Adam had made a slight movement to go to the man, but it seemed that Caynz and Schmitt had beat him at that.

"Adam-san, would you mind if you left him with us?" Caynz asked, putting a hand on the man's right shoulder.

"A-Ah, sure," the lad slowly replied, which earned the two men's nods.

Immediately, the two carried their former guild leader by his arms, carrying him away in a direction, off into the forest. Yolko came along as well, giving a short bow, which Adam and Asuna returned with their own, and before she finally joined the others, off into the fog.

Watching them disappear, Adam finally noticed how it suddenly became day, and… It was pleasantly bright. Not like how the forest felt dead due to all the darkness and fog. Now, with all the light, it felt so nice, that Adam couldn't let the chance of stretching himself go past.

"Say…" The lass's words brought him back to reality, after he was so lost in soothing his sore back. "Just saying… If you were married, and discovered a side of your spouse that you never knew, what would you think?"

"Hmm, I wonder… How would I think?" The lad asked back, and—sheepishly chuckling—he raised his arms defensively when the lass sent a threatening stare in his way. "Obviously, I'd feel fortunate, duh," he answered without a doubt.

"Huh? Why's that?" Of all the things she would have expected him to say, 'fortunate' wasn't one of them.

"Oh, come on! I mean, marrying someone means that you've just gotta' love all sides of em' that you already know, right?" The lad asked, glad that he earned a nod. "So, if you discover a new side of them that you've never seen before, and that you'll only love that part too, well… It'd just make you love em' even more, right?"

"…Alright, I'll leave it at that," Asuna finally ended with a nod, eliciting a breath of relief from the lad. "In any case, I'm hungry. I missed my chance to eat earlier, too."

"No kidding. All this case-solving wears you out," the lad agreed with a nod.

"We've been away..!" She paused to stretch herself. "From the front lines for two days! Haa… We'll have to work hard again, starting tomorrow, understood?"

"You can bet me on that!" The lad cheekily replied. "Seriously though, I want to end the current floor by the end of the week."

"Reeaally?" She drawled as she began making a few steps away. "I'm surprised that you—"

*Th.*

"L-Look."

"What is—"

Feeling her sleeve pulled by the lad, she turned to face him, only to see that his mouth was indeed agape. She looked to where he pointed, and she herself couldn't help but gasp.

Just where the gravestone was engraved at, there stood Griselda, only a good feet away from where she was buried at, hair being blown with the wind.

…

And just like that, she disappeared, leaving no traces whatsover.

"Adam…" She whispered when the shock finally left her. "I think we should add each other in our friends list. We haven't, have we?" She turned to face him, of which he mirrored her movements. "It would definitely be useful if we could contact each other, even if we're in the clearing group."

"You sure about that?" Adam spoke, surprise carved into his face. "I'm a solo player, so…"

"I never said you had to party with me," she corrected him. "Plus, you need to make a lot of friends."

"Seriously? I doubt it's gonna' be much of an inconvenience, buuut…" He dragged his last word, before a devilish grin crossed his face. "I'll think about it through some food."

"…" Not believing her ears, she finally let out a sigh. "Anything for food, huh..? Fine, let's get to town then."

"Good with me!" The lad agreed, thrusting his fist in the air as he walked beside her, towards the exit of the forest.

* * *

 _Love is fickle, but it was also sturdy._

 _When left alone, it would slowly decompose, until there was nothing more than hatred and arguments._

 _But when taken after, it would soon become the weapon and shield of people. It would bring together understanding and unity, all the while bringing them closer together._

 _And it was that sort of thing that brought the first AI closer to his loved ones._


	10. Chapter 9

"Don't let me down!" - Speech

'You look familiar…' - Thoughts

" _The war was over."_ \- Flashback / Emphasis

*Whoosh!* *Tzzz!* - Sound effects

" **This isn't good!"** \- Tatl / Tael Speech

' **How in the world?'** \- Tatl / Tael Thoughts

* * *

'`Chapter 9: The Beatings of the Hammer'`

 _She had strived to be the greatest blacksmith in all the players, and it was her dream that kept her alive throughout the courses._

 _But of course, when Lisbeth had indeed met him, it became her next challenge._

 _To win his heart, before he turned his eyes only towards her friend, whom she loved as much as he would soon enough._

 _But when the winter came, and the cold would threaten to freeze, it was a small act that thawed her heart, and acted as her promise to be his, and only his, for as long as the days to come._

* * *

Memories were an important aspect of one's life. It served as the determination and will to keep living on, even in the harshest conditions.

The memories of the time spent with your loved ones can act as your brightest rays of light in the pitch black.

The memories of how an enemy cackled at the thought of you dead could act as your anger and determination to overcome every obstacles and slay the enemy.

And of course…

The memory of being with a loved one—

"Mmm…"

"Ha-Ha..?"

Can instantly bring's one heart to melt, accompanied with the surges of pleasure in one's body.

Turning his face down to look at where his body was under the bedsheets, he could feel a sort of 'mass' weighing down on him, but it wasn't enough to force the air out of him.

"Wha..?" Groggily pulling the sheets off of him, it didn't take our teenage protagonist—

"Yha…" To make out the soft outlines of another person sleeping with him. "Morning…"

"Morning to you as well," Adam whispered back as he pushed himself backwards with his elbows, allowing him full view of the woman before him. "Yolko…"

It was definitely a twist of fate, he thought. All the while, during the entire case-solving thing, he had been fully expecting to go without earning himself another woman to claim. And yet, things would always be the opposite for him.

Right after the dinner with Asuna, he had been prepared to make his journey to an inn, one that was—he hoped—of good condition.

However, the girl had came quicker to him than he had left the town, pulling him off to her inn, and… Showing him glimpses of heaven.

"Sooo…" She tiredly drawled, hair a messy piles. "How was… last night? Was I good enough..?"

"Y-Yeah… You were amazing," the lad embarrassedly replied, glancing away as his newest lover happily rest her head on his chest.

"I'm glad then…" She whispered back, content to hear his answer.

And you might be wondering, does she know about his harem? The answer to that is; yes. He had stopped her just before she had engaged them in last night's lovemaking session, confessing of his current situation with the other girls, before she finally accepted being one of his, and…

Well, the rest is history.

"So, where do you have to go next..?" Yolko asked, as she pulled herself away from the lad, and covering herself with the sheets that he had tossed off of them.

"I planned to just do some training, just in case, but looks like the world's really had it out for me," the lad sweat-dropped to himself, nervously chuckling. 'Seriously, can't I just do something I want to for a change?'

"Hmm? And what's that?" She finally regained her composure, as well as her previously lost energy.

"Asuna wanted me to go see a friend of hers. Says that this friend of hers is the greatest smith she's ever known, and she has successfully grabbed my attention," the lad briefly explained, earning himself an understanding hum from the girl.

"Well," she spoke as she combed her purple hair with her fingers. "Come back alive, alright? You don't want to break the hearts of four girls~!"

"Ergh!" The lad flinched at her sudden change of tone, one that was directed in a seductive way, before he gave a nod. "Of course. I can't let myself die now that I've come this far, huh?"

"Yeah…" She happily nodded back, wiping away a stray tear that had formed on her eye. "Yeah you do."

* * *

Leaving the inn he had just stayed in, he decided to distance himself from his lover, all the while keeping a cheerful façade.

'Damn me…' He cursed to himself, face slowly contorting into a hateful expression once he entered an alleyway.

He did it… He did it again.

He had gained another lover.

"Damn it!" He roared out loud this time, not even bothering to check whether there were others or not. "Why?!"

It happened again. No matter how much he would try to ease his memories of it, it would stay there. He had hoped it wouldn't happen again, but it did…

'She'll get hurt…' That thought tore his heart even more than he thought it would.

Everywhere around him, it was trouble. People'd get hurt, and he'd be the subject of the blame. He had fully accepted it all, to be hurled a pebble, or to be the target of a lashing, but… It never came. And no one blamed him.

It was always the opposite for him! He wanted to be hated, to be seen as a monster, but it never happened! Everyone saw him as a hero, with his black outfit and polished metal sword, he was just your amazing player who slew a dragon! Or a four-eyed beast!

'Why…' He asked himself once more, his mind unable to comprehend it all. 'Why do they choose me..?'

There were far other better men out there, he thought. The girls just needed to be sure of who to pick.

Klein was indefinitely one of the best. With his outgoing persona, his cheerful outlook on life, and his preparedness to be there for his friends were just some of his best qualities. He would've made an excellent partner, one who would always bring happiness to his lover's life.

Agil was a smart and wise man whose skills branched out to many arts. He was great at smithing, but what Adam respected him for was his big heart. He was gentle, careful, and he'd no doubt use his steel will and raw strength to protect his lover.

But Adam…

"Why me?" He muttered.

It was difficult to not list out anything about him. He was handsome, resourceful, smart, decisive, always friendly, and was on par with Klein when it came to making jokes. He was honest, sometimes awkward… But that was one of his charms!

And the most important factor here, was how he was willing to put himself before others.

It was always something that he couldn't get rid of. When someone was about to get hurt, and when he gained a vision about it, he had to change fate. If he was given the chance, the opportunity, to save the person, to keep him or her from getting hurt… He'd damn himself to make sure of that!

And now…

"Another girl," the lad sadly reminded himself, knowing full well that that fact would remain no matter what.

Yolko was indeed a sweet girl, who truly was sorry for ever dragging him into her guild's matters. She was a good person, kind through and through, and…

It made him hate himself more.

"She doesn't deserve this," he whispered to himself. "She deserves a better life… One without danger, and one without having to constantly deal with…"

The pain of sharing.

She loved him, no doubt. He didn't feel satisfied with hearing that she stated that she never minded. She didn't mind sharing him with others, and the others had agreed to that too!

But he hated himself no matter what. He was prepared to damn himself down the path he went now, even if it meant he'd be hated by the people around him, even if the whole world turned against him, even—

"Even if my friends hate me…" Adam ended his own thoughts, stray tear already snaking down from his left eye. He rubbed it away with his sleeve, but more came out, so he gave up in the end.

He didn't want any of this… He wanted for the girls a world where they didn't have to live worrying or being sad.

Loving him, they worried so much. He was a member of the clearing group, so it was without doubt that he'd be met with so many dangers. Add to the fact that he was a reckless person, so he was always going to get himself into dangerous situations.

He hated that about himself. How he'd make others worry about him… If they never fell in love with him, if Klein and Agil never met him, if he had never made any friends… If he died, no one would care!

He would have died alone, not even bothering anyone in the first place! It would've truly set his heart in peace, knowing that everyone were going to go on without stopping to mourn for his death.

But now… Things were different. What was he gonna' do? All these thoughts were so painful, sending pang after pang of guilt, sadness and hatred in him.

A moment later, regaining his composure, Adam made his way out of the alleyway, fully determined to see the day through. Let life try to kill him, he'd make sure he'd come out alive, just as he promised to his friends and lovers.

'Klein, Agil, Asuna, Sachi, Silica, Argo, Yolko…' He remembered his circle of friends well, and—with a nod—he resumed with his day.

* * *

June 24th 2024, Floor 48—Lindas

The town of Lindas could be deemed as the town of smiths. Every house had a 'river' of its own, accompanied with a watermill to rotate and do what the house master required it to do. And, it was home to a certain blacksmith who was gifted with skilled fingers.

*Kzzz!*

The sound of a metal being sharpened resounded throughout the room. The pink haired blacksmith finally stopped the contraption after a while, taking a moment to check on the rapier she sharpened.

"Alright!" She beamed when she got the results she wanted. She sheathed the weapon, before handing it to her customer.

"Thanks, Liz! You really are a lifesaver!" Asuna chirped as she took her weapon, 'Lambent Light', from her blacksmith friend, the latter grinning at the compliment.

"My pleasure," Lisbeth replied. Her face had put on a thoughtful look for a moment, before she spoke up. "Actually, aren't you gonna' go clearing with your guild today?"

"Oh. About that… See, I'm meeting with someone later, so I decided to take the day off," Asuna admitted, eliciting a surprise 'Huh?' from her friend.

But, taking a quick and close look at what laid on the lass's right earlobe, a shiny purple earring, it told her all there is to know.

"Ohh~! So 'that's' how it is…" Lisbeth concluded with a devious smirk, earning herself a confused look from her friend.

"What do you mean 'that's how it is'?" Asuna asked back, and was about to continue this conversation, until—

*Ding! Dong!*

"Oh no!" Hearing the sound of the bell from outside, she grew frantic. "I need to go!" She made her way towards the door, not even bothering to walk up the stairs. She paused for a moment at the door. "Thanks, Liz!" She yelled out, before she finally left the room.

…

"So, you've found something important, huh?" Liz asked to no one in particular, sounding rather lost and forlorn.

Mind suddenly lost in thoughts, it took her a while until her gaze finally drifted to a certain black board in the back of the room, complete with notes, drawings, and a picture of a young brunette girl, with older men accompanying her.

'I wonder…' She unconsciously thought as her sight was solely focused on the picture. 'If I can find something important too…'

* * *

June 25th 2024, Floor 48—Lindas

"FUDGE!"

"Eh? / What the… / Who is that?"

The townspeople looked to the road, where they could clearly see a familiar, black-cladded player running in a direction with only a sword in his hand.

"Why did I have to wake up so late?!" The lad roared at himself, fully disappointed and embarrassed with his earlier actions.

He had promised that he would've been earlier, he had sent a message to the blacksmith much, MUCH earlier ago. Now, he's running—figuratively and literally—late by one HOUR.

"Why can't this world have alarm clocks or something?!" Adam yelled as he kept up his pace, and he would've spewed even more cries, until his eyes could make out a sign off in the centre.

'Lisbeth's Smith Shop.'

"That must be the one!" The lad happily chirped, but he kept on running… That's when he realised. "I can't stop!"

*BANG!* *Thud!*

"Argh!"

"..?"

Tumbling into the store, the lad took a moment to get rid of all the swirls that danced on his head, and all the nausea and confusion. Finally rid of them, it took him a moment to process what had just happened, until he finally realised that he had just entered the shop, by literally crashing through the front door.

"…I'm a literal idiot…" The lad deadpanned to himself, before letting out a sigh of disappointment.

After a while of self-motivating, Adam finally found it in himself to pick himself up, and immediately he took to looking around the store.

"Whoa…" It was unlike any stores that he had ever visited before.

The weapons were very clean, and it looked as if someone had just polished them. The armour were finely crafted, from the most expensive of metals, he thought, and the shields were curved to perfection. The shop all on its own was the living definition of 'neat', seeing as there were no cobwebs or termite nests in the vicinity.

'But none of these swords are good enough…' The lad thought with a frown, seeing as none of the weapons were on par with the weapon he had just found.

The 'Elucidator'. A blade as dark as the sky after midnight, and it possessed the strength of an army in its strikes and swings. He had earned it after taking out the fiftieth Floor Boss, and it definitely surprised him very much when he earned something such as this for a mob drop.

Nonetheless, he was indeed thankful to God above, for being bestowed with such powerful artefact was indeed a blessing all on its own. With this…

'I'd be able to keep everyone safe…' That thought brought much comfort in him. 'I need more power… And this will indefinitely bring me that.'

*Creak!*

"Welcome to Lisbeth's Smith Shop!" A pink haired girl emerged from the wooden door close to the counter, wearing what Adam could assume is a female smith's outfit.

"O-Oh," the lad definitely wasn't expecting her to be there at all. "Okay… I'd like to place an order for a custom-made weapon."

'What the…' A quick look on him gave her a rather curious thought. 'He looks like he doesn't have enough money to pay…' That thought stuck with her from then on, and she was peculiar on serving an unready customer. "I would be happy to oblige, but the price for metals have increased recently, so…"

"Oh, the cost is alright, trust me," the lad reassured her with a shake of the hand. "I'd just like the best sword you've crafted."

"That's a bit too vague," she sweat-dropped. "It would help me a lot if you could tell me what kind of specs you're looking for."

"Specs? Specs, specs, specs… Oh, I got it!" The lad snapped his fingers after a moment in thought, before he pulled the sheathed sword from his back, and held it out for the girl with both hands. "I'm looking for a sword that's on par with this one, please."

"Alright…" She held out her own hands below his, and took the blade from—

"Oof!"

"Huh?"

The lad merely blinked at the sudden reaction from the girl, the latter huffed from the incredible weight of the blade.

Gently, she placed the blade onto the yellow counter, before she tried to pull out the blade. Note that I said 'tried'.

"Rrgh..!" Lisbeth seemed to struggle with the blade, having some issues on pulling it out. After a while, she gave up with a huff, before turning to the lad. "Could you do it..?"

"Okay," the lad nodded, before he took the black sword out of its sheathe, and positioning it atop the counter.

Immediately, Lisbeth began examining the weapon, and her eyebrows cocked in surprise at what she read.

'The Elucidator,' she thought of the name of the weapon. 'It means to make something clear… Out of all the swords available from the monster drops, this one's so good, it wouldn't be crazy to call it a cursed sword…'

"Sooo…" The lad tapped his fingers against the counter, sighing a moment later when he realised he didn't say anything at all. "Do you have anything?"

"Hmm…" Mind reeling for a bit, she finally decided to pull out a white sword from the wall, before presenting it to the lad. "Of all the weapons that I've made, this is the best one yet!"

Adam scanned the blade's exterior, unconsciously placing the tip of his fingers against the cold metal in the process. It felt sharp, no doubt, but… It didn't feel right. Deciding to prove his assumptions, he gave it a few sideway swings.

"Damn, this sword is light as a feather," the lad muttered out loud.

"Of course," Lisbeth nodded. "The sword was built of speed-based metals, after all. So, what do you think?"

"I, uh…" The lad scratched the back of his head with his free hand, before he turned to face the smith. "You wouldn't mind if I took it for a test now, would you?"

"A test?" She repeated, sounding rather insecure.

"A durability test, I mean," he corrected her, before he held the 'Elucidator' on the table with his right, and brought up Lisbeth's sword high up in the air.

"Wait, what are you doing?!" Seeing him trying to cut his own sword with hers, she grew worried. "Your sword might break!"

*Krrh!*

"Depends!" The lad chirped, before he brought down Lisbeth's powered-up sword down onto his own blade, and—

*Chng!*

The light-metal sword broke in two!

Lisbeth watched as her prized crafted item was easily split by a monster drop. A monster drop! And that's easy as saying 'A duck was killed by a lizard' sort of thing.

*Cch!*

"Aaah!" The girl suddenly cried out in horror, unable to do anything as the piece of the sword she once was proud of crafting burst into pixels. She took the remaining of the blade from the lad's hand, and—much with a frown—she couldn't do anything again as the rest of the weapon—

*Cch!*

Broke into pixels and light.

*Thud.*

She dropped to the floor, knees and hands flat on the wooden floor, until—

"What the heck were you thinking?!"

"I-I'm sorry! I swear, it never came to mind that YOUR sword would break!"

The lad reasoned with the girl, whom suddenly grabbed his collar with an ironclad grip. Hearing his words, she momentarily broke from her rage, until she boiled with it once more.

"So what? Are you saying that my sword was weaker than you expected?!" She angrily fumed, unable to believe the played-out events.

"Ergh!" He flinched at her choice of words, but he had to be honest. Blame society for the saying 'Honesty is the best policy'. "Y-Yeah, truth be told."

"Hmph!" She finally released her hold over his collar, huffing as she placed her hands on both sides of her hips. "Well, for your information, if I had the materials, I'd be able to craft a bunch of swords that could effectively break yours!"

"Ooh! You've captured my interest!" The lad chirped at her, beaming at her words, before he broke down into laughter.

"W-What?!" She hadn't expected him to suddenly LAUGH all of a sudden.

"Ha ha! Break my sword in two, yeah right!" The lad said in between his laughter, which only served to add as fuel to the girl's anger.

"F-Fine! If you're acting so much like a hotshot, then you'll be helping me with everything!" Lisbeth angrily yelled at him, unable to believe that she's being mocked by her own customer.

"H-Hoo… Everything..?" Adam asked after his laughter died down.

"Everything. Including getting the metal," she nodded in assurance.

"Eh? Hang on, you want me, to get a metal, off in some faraway place," he paused to gulp some saliva. "A-A-Alone?"

"Oh please. I'm obviously coming with you," she had to hold herself back from laughing at his sudden change of behaviour. "I'm not just a smith, but also a master mace user."

'Not as Agil, I doubt…' The lad thought with a mental nervous chuckle. "So, where's the metal located at?"

"It's on the fifty-fifth floor. There's a dragon in the mountains to the west that lives off crystals," she explained to the lad. "Rumours have it that it builds up some sort of rare metal in its body."

"Floor fifty-five? Not too far from here, then," the lad said with a smile. "And let me guess, to get the metal in the first place, a master smith is required, right?"

"Mhmm," she hummed with a nod, glad to know that she's being appreciated already.

"Well, I wouldn't mind you coming with me in the first place, if only I could drag the monster here in the first place…" The lad muttered the last parts to himself, fully intent on not offending the smith. "Though, I would appreciate it if you stayed behind me where it's safe. Sounds okay with you?"

"Oi, what do you…" She sounded skeptical at his words, and would've turned it into an interrogation, had not the lad raised his hand out in front of him.

"The name's Adam. Seems that we'll be working until the sword is completed," the lad spoke with his hand still raised out.

"Hmph!" She huffed, immediately turning away from him. "If so, Adam."

"Okay then," the lad sheepishly chuckled as he retracted his hand. "In any case, it's a pleasure to meet you as well, Lisbeth. Liz, Lis… Argh, whatever!"

* * *

June 24th 2024, Floor 55—Western Mountain

"Achoo!" The girl sneezed when a cold air flew past her nose, forcing her to draw in her arms closer to her. "Man, this place sure is cold…"

"How come you didn't carry some extra clothes?" The lad asked, curious with her actions.

"I didn't know floor fifty-five was a literal freezer..!" Lisbeth retorted, before a sneeze escaped her once more.

"Alright, hang on…" It confused the girl for a moment, until she realised—

*Krrh!*

"Here ya' go."

"Whoa…"

Immediately, she could feel the sagging weight of a heavy cloak wrapping around her. Immediately, she properly clipped it. She was about to thank him, until a thought came to mind.

"Hang on, you don't need it?" She asked, worried about his wellbeing.

"Nah, I'm good. I'm used to climate changes," the lad reassured her with a cheeky grin, before making his way forwards.

"If you say so…" She mumbled, but she immediately clasped her hands in front of her. "It's warm," she muttered, following him from behind. 'Such strange turn of events… Of how I'm with a guy like him.'

"Lisbeth? Are you alright?" The lad asked, his voice holding a hint of concern.

"N-No, I'm fine," she reassured him, touched that he worried for her, before she entered a short run towards him. "And seriously, just cut it down to 'Lis', would you?"

"As you say, Lis!" The lad happily replied.

* * *

Later

Life was the greatest puzzle.

Everything would start from a root, just as a plant. In time, a stalk would grow from the roots, and from it the flowers. If raised well, it would bear a fruit.

Or, if it's a none-flowering plant… It would just grow big, I guess..?

In any case, the world of 'Sword Art Online' was almost realistic, if not for its fantastic graphics, surreal take on fantasy, ability to encounter such strange monsters, and of course…

"Wow!" Lisbeth felt amazed at the sheer beauty of the crystals before her, of which they shone so beautifully, as if they had been polished to perfection.

As of now, they had reached an area that purely consisted of crystals protruding from the earth. The snow only added to the crystals' beauty, and she was all the more pumped up to—

*Trrk!*

"H-Hey!" She was just in the zone, already prepared to run towards the cave entrance before her, until her companion pulled her by the hand. "What gives?!"

"S-Sorry!" The lad apologised as he raised his arms defensively before him. "It's just… Could you prepare a teleport crystal? Just in case, I assure you. It never hurts to be three steps ahead, am I right?"

"Ah, fine…" She relented with a sigh, before she rummaged through her knapsack for the item.

"Also, if you don't mind, leave the fighting bit to me," the lad instructed her, his personality shifting to a serious one, much to her surprise. "Once the dragon arrives, I need you to hide yourself behind the crystals. Do not come out, no matter what happens."

"And why's that?" She asked, sounding rather skeptical with what he was suggesting. "I'm not just some rookie, you know. You could definitely use my help."

"Damn it, I said stay back, for God's sake!"

"..!"

His sudden outburst froze her in her tracks, ironically sending a chill down her spine. She hadn't expect him to be the one to scold her, let alone burst in anger, but she complied with a short nod in the end.

"Thank you…" He whispered, smile immediately etching onto his face.

*Pah.*

"Hh..!"

"Keep yourself safe, no matter what."

The lad whispered his words to her as he patted her head, before he withdrew it and made his way towards the cave entrance.

'I can't let her get hurt…' He promised himself that he'd keep everyone alive, so he wasn't keen on breaking his self-promise now. 'Let the world forsake me for all I care, I'll—"

*RRHAA!*

"Oh, come on! At least let me finish my thoughts first!" The lad sighed in annoyance, before he pulled out 'Elucidator' from its sheathe, and directing it in the mountain's direction. He casted a backward glance over his shoulder, eye narrowed in the girl's direction. "Hide, now!"

"R-Right!" Lis cried back, before she followed his orders.

'Now then…' He smirked, before he looked back to the sky. 'Let's see what you've got, you son of a dragon..!'

*RRaa!*

"Oh please, I've seen other ugly faces before, you know," the lad rolled his eyes with a chuckle, in response to the dragon's roar.

*Zzzkk…*

'Oh no..!' Eyes wide in horror, she realised what the dragon was trying to pull off. Unconsciously, she had pulled out her own mace, ready to run to the lad's side. "Watch out! It's preparing a breath attack!"

*CHAAA!*

"Come at me!" The lad roared with determination, before he—

*Krrrh!*

Powered up his sword, pulled it back, and—

*Dwwoo!*

Swung it towards the beam. Despite this, it left him engulfed in the dragon's frost breath, further adding to the girl's trepidation.

*Fwoo!*

"Ah, jeez! That was tiring!"

"H-Huh?"

Huffing in annoyance, it seemed that the lad had definitely made it alive, apparently surviving a deadly blast from such a terrifying force. Not wasting a moment, he rushed forward, leaving behind an awed smith.

'A-Amazing…' She repeated mentally, third time to be exact. 'And with such a tiny weapon… Who are you?'

"Okay, buddy!" The lad jumped high into the air and towards the dragon, using the speed from the dashing as a boost. "Let's see how this tastes!"

*Kng!* *Chang!* *Clng!* *RrrAAHA!*

Even from afar, Lis could clearly see how much damage the lad was dealing towards the dragon. The latter was too slow, unable to keep up with the swordsman's speed, failing each time he tried to send a breath or swipe at the lad, whom was busy returning the attack.

"You know what they say! What goes around," the lad began as he dealt a short cut to the dragon's wing, before running towards its left forearm. "Comes around!"

*Chng!* *GHRAAA!*

Lis's eyes went wide at the sight of the lad disembodying the dragon of its left forearm, leaving it roaring and growling in pain, whilst the lad decides to keep up the pressure, dealing a flurry of strikes at the beast.

*WrroAR!*

'Uh oh… If it goes from 'Graa!' to 'Wroa!', that can't be good..!' The lad thought, dread slowly draping him.

And then, it happened.

The dragon charged up another breath, but it didn't stop there.

"Uh oh!"

"Huh?"

*Graaa! *Fwoo!*

Letting loose its breath, and with the massive clap of its wings—

"Aaah!"

"Lis! Damn it… Hang on!"

Sent the smith flying off in a wave of snow and ice, effectively sending tiny shrapnels to cut her, added with the snow that covered her sight. Seeing this, the lad had immediately moved to her location, and—

*Whoo.*

"Eh?" Looking from where she was now, what with all the snow gone and no longer being cut or blown…

She was right above a huge hole.

"A-AAh!" Gravity immediately played its part, working marvellously in dragging her downwards and fast.

*Tuk!*

"Hold on, Lis!" The lad yelled out as he finally managed to give an ironclad grip around her. "This is really gonna' be a bumpy landing!"

And the two dropped, down the hole and from the dragon and crystals.

* * *

A Moment Later

"Nggh…" Stirring from her sleep was a pink haired smith, who was surely regaining her consciousness.

Ok, it wasn't sleeping, and more like 'lost her consciousness' sort of thing… But hey, it's still close, so what's there to lose, eh?

"Good grief…"

"Uh..?"

Lisbeth finally regained herself, and—now noticing the strange radiance of heat—she took a brief glance downwards, immediately jumping away after realising that she had indeed gone unconscious atop her companion.

"Agh…" The lad slowly rose into a sitting position, taking a moment to shake himself of any tire, before he faced the girl with a worried expression. "You hurt?"

"A-Ah, no…" She shook her head in response, eliciting a breath of relief from the lad.

"Thank goodness..! Here," the lad paused to withdraw a potion from his inventory, before he handed it to a reluctant Lisbeth. "Just in case, you know. Go on."

With a small nod of the head, she took the drink to her lips, before drinking it of its contents. It was… sweet, with a tinge of bitterness, but mostly sweet.

"I, uh…" She began after she had finished downing the concoction. "Thanks… For saving me, I mean."

"Oh please, anyone would've done that if they were in my place. No biggie," the lad shook off her thanks with a shrug. "Plus, don't you think it's too early to be thanking me? We're still stuck here, you know."

"O-Oh," she glanced upwards, finally realising that they were currently in the hole that she had been knocked into by the wind the dragon whipped up earlier.

"Indeed," the lad nodded his head after a good second passed. "We still gotta' bust ourselves out of here."

"Okay then, we'll just teleport out of here!" Lisbeth felt the energy pump back into her, before she rose into a standing position, and thrusted the hand that held the teleport crystal upwards. "Teleport to Lindas!"

…

Nothing happened.

"Ain't that obvious?" The lad cheekily mutte—

Oi! Don't even think of becoming the narrator here! You're just the charac—

Oh, right. Ahem, let's continue…

"No way!" The pink haired smith was in disbelief with the crystal's failure to work, which resulted in the lad inwardly snickering.

"Man, we're literally stuck in some sort of trap, I bet," the lad nonchalantly commented, oblivious to how his companion had immediately shuddered at his words. "I mean, this could've been built in hopes of trapping players."

"And what, leave them to die?!" Lisbeth snapped back, worried and frightened at the same time.

"Yup," the lad nodded in response.

"Egh!" She flinched at his assurance. "You know, you could've tried and make me feel better!"

"But what good is comforting someone," his tone became much more serious now. It felt deeper, more scarce, and held a sadistic tone in it. "When we're literally in a game that's meant to kill..?"

"..!" She shuddered at his change of emotions, unconsciously taking a step backward.

A moment passed, and all the tension in the air had disappeared with the lad's sigh. He glared at the sky, tongue clicking after the thought of being 'trapped' came to mind.

'Trapped…' That one word had so many definitions, and even more synonyms. 'Caged…'

Being held like a hostage, or a prized possession, didn't seem to fit well with him. He didn't like how it sounded, nor how it was like. Being trapped like this, he could grow to loathe it, but his rule had stuck with him no matter what.

'I hate myself…' Those three words had stuck with him from the very beginning, and he wasn't expecting to lose it soon enough. And the flame only grew brighter, once he realised that he dragged someone down with him, when she could've been safe up there. 'Damn it..!'

"So, what do we do now?" Snapped out of his thoughts, Adam finally realised that the blacksmith had spoken up.

"We'll need shelter, no doubt," the lad replied back, before popping open his inventory.

"Oh, wow. _Shelter_?" Her sarcastic remarks somehow didn't strike a nerve back there. "What do you plan to do? Build one?"

*Krrh!*

"What else?" The lad cheekily inquired back, after a few good number of wooden planks had materialised into his arms.

"Wh—Huh?" Her mouth fell agape a moment later, and all she could do was watch as he, with the wood cradled in his arms, moved to a certain space in the snow, before placing the wood down and turning to face her. "What?"

"You've got a mace, right? Pass me that, please," the lad requested, earning himself a 'Huh?' from the girl. "Don't 'huh' me. Just pass me the damn mace!"

"I don't get it…" She muttered, hesitantly pulling out her mace, and handing it to the lad. "You're a swordsman. You can't use a mace…"

"Who said so, Lis?" The lad asked back, pleased that he earned no response from the girl. "That's right, nobody. Now, just watch out for any mobs or the like, and I'll deal with the building."

"R-Right…" Lisbeth slowly nodded, before making her way to a part of the area. She dropped to her legs, sitting down whilst she watched the lad work away.

'As if he could build a house…' That single thought brought her to slight chuckles, and she would've felt right to call him mad, but…

Could she? He's already done so many crazy things that, now, she felt as if he could actually accomplish anything.

And, even though it looked as if he was doing it for the sake of doing it, was he really? He had already risked his own life to save hers, pivoting over the gushing snow just to grab her and break her fall.

And even before that, he had decided to hand her a coat. Now, it wasn't perfect, she had worn even better ones, but it still felt nice. She was… being cared for, and she felt appreciated. She wasn't just some tool to be tossed aside once worn and torn, she was a living, breathing person.

And he saw her as just that.

…

*Tunk!* *Tong!* *Tunk!*

Lisbeth suddenly woke up from her short nap, realising that the day was close to its curtain call, signified by the sudden increase in darkness. She looked to the source of the sound, and—

"Hha..!" Gasped in delight and surprise when she saw a wooden cabin in the middle of the area.

"All done!" The lad joyfully squealed after his declaration, before he turned to an already-awake Lisbeth, immediately waving at her with large arcs. "Lis! I'm done!"

"You are…" She felt as if it wasn't there, but her eyes wasn't fooling her, not yet.

In place of what was once a blank, snow-floored area, now rested a wooden cabin with simple lanterns hanging directly above the porch, windows that only he could've somehow attained, and even more things awaited her in the inside.

It wasn't anything too grand, but it was amazing for someone to accomplish in such short notice. There was a fireplace, two beds just besides each other in the far edge, a coat rack beside the fireplace, and… Well, that was it. Like I said, it wasn't too grand, but it was pretty amazing for someone to have built in the first place.

And don't even get me started on the fireplace. Only God knows how Adam found time to set that up.

"So, what do you think?" The lad asked, leaning on the wall close to the window.

"It's… really nice, actually," Lisbeth spoke in breaths, still awed that he had actually built this. "How did you even build this?"

"One word, Lis. Focus," the lad spoke his phrase in a serious, yet joking tone, before he returned to his usual cheekiness. "Just kidding. There's nothing to it! I just wanted to get it done. Though, I could've added a toilet, at the very least…"

"Yeah, you could've done that…" The blacksmith nervously chuckled at his words, heat slightly rushing to her face.

"In any case," surprising his companion, Adam pulled out a bag of potatoes, the vegetables looking fresh and juicy. "We still haven't eaten. Want some?"

"Man, what would I do without you, Adam?" The pink-haired blacksmith asked sarcastically.

"Umm… Freeze to death outdoors?" The lad jokingly replied, earning himself a few titters from his companion, much to his thanks.

It was cold outside, but here, in this very cabin, they were at least safe; safe from the beasts that would stumble into this very hellhole, and at least from the chilling wind outside. And that on its own, was enough for him.

* * *

*Kkk…*

The fire crackled and sizzled, embers lightly floating above the dancing flames, before they died down.

Adam tended to the fire, chucking in a few firewood, before pushing them around with a makeshift crowbar. He swapped glances from the fireplace, and back to the blacksmith that sat beside him, who also watched the fires, and back to the fireplace.

"This feels way too strange to be real, huh..?" Lisbeth asked, her voice lowered down to a hush, much to the point where Adam could hear the cold whispers of the wind outside. "This would've never happened in the real world…"

"Oh, no doubt. Trying to build this cabin in just a few hours is impossible. It'd take at least a day or two," the lad jested, sheepishly grinning at the thought. A moment later, Lisbeth chuckled at his joke.

"Actually, Adam…" She spoke up once more after a moment had passed, after her smile had faded away. "Why did you save me back there?"

"I just… Isn't that what anyone would've done? It's not special or anything," the lad reasoned with his companion, the latter seemingly skeptical with his words. "What?"

"I get this feeling as if you're hiding something…" The pink haired blacksmith stared at him with a strange look, slowly off-putting the lad, until he finally let out a groan from all the staring.

"Okay, okay! I'll talk, just..! Stop staring!" The lad whined, resulting in the girl letting loose a triumphant smirk. "Alright, it's just… I don't like the idea of letting someone die alone. Better to die with them, I guess. Especially," he drawled his last word, flashing her a cheeky grin. "If that person is someone as clumsy as you."

It didn't make sense, of what he had just said, but she had found it in herself to somehow chuckle at his words.

"You dolt… You're the only one that thinks that way, you know…" She whispered, wiping a stray tear that formed in her left eye sac.

"Ahaha… Yeah, I can't deny that idiocy part," the lad merely grinned back at her, surprisingly not offended at her words.

And the moment passed just like that; with Adam tending to the fires, and Lisbeth being there to keep him company. He had reasoned with her to go to bed first, but she decided otherwise.

This sort of company… It was actually pleasant. Much more so than being alone with his fairies. They were great company, don't get him wrong, but he couldn't deny the presence of a person.

It was just like with Ruru. Being in her house, knowing that there was a person in the place he had stayed in, where she had decided to watch over him, it felt nice. He felt secure, filled; he didn't feel as if he was lonely.

"Hey Adam…" The lad looked to his side, now noticing that Lisbeth had averted her gaze from him, which led to his eyebrow cocking upwards. "Do you think you could… Hold my hand, maybe?"

That took him by surprise. Of all the requests, she could have made, she asked for that? It definitely didn't seem fitting, but…

"Alright," the lad nodded, before he finally clasped her hand with his left, his other still busy tending the fireplace. He noticed the way she shuddered in response, but after some time, she finally closed her grip around his hand.

"It's warm…" She whispered, barely audible to hear. "It's strange. I mean, both of us are currently just data in a virtual world, and yet…"

"It's because bonds are stronger than anything else," the lad chimed in, taking the girl aback. "It doesn't matter what is what. As long as our bonds are strong, anything is possible. Like now."

He held up his left hand which clasped hers, trying to get his message across. She definitely didn't comprehend what he meant, but a smile etched itself onto her face a moment later, accompanied with the sudden setting of her body against his.

'She… fell asleep already?' The lad sweat-dropped at the realisation. He sighed afterwards, realising the fact that she'd probably complain about the body aches first thing in the morning.

Putting down the crowbar close to the fireplace, but not too close that it would be licked by the flames, he smoothly picked up the blacksmith in an appropriately named 'Princess Carry', before walking all the way to their beds.

Tucking her away in the bed closer to the corner, he moved to his own beside hers, before slipping into it. He gave his pillow a few good smacks, feeling as if it would have been more comfortable that way, before laying his head onto the pillow.

'I wonder how long it'll take me to sleep,' the lad thought to himself, eyes slowly fluttering.

And he was asleep not even a minute later.

* * *

June 25th 2024, Floor 55—Western Mountain

"Hhaaa..!" A certain male yawned as he groggily rose into a sitting position, somehow feeling the chill from the outside making its way to him.

Licking his lips for a good moment, he lazily looked to where the cabin's window was, and could make out light.

'Morning _already_..?' The lad mentally whined at the fact before him, feeling rather exhausted and ready to return to sleep, buuut…

"I've got work to do," he realised, leading to him getting off from his bed, and he would've made his way to the door by now, had he not seen the sleeping figure of his blacksmith companion. "Huh. Peaceful-looking."

Her breathing was steady, he noticed, and she seemed to have a tiny smile etched onto her face. The bedsheets were pulled towards her, and she slept straighter than a log.

'Or as straight as a log,' the lad concluded, before finally leaving the warmth and comfort of his self-built cabin.

Once he got outside, he noticed how cold it was. The snow on the floor wasn't making this any better, but he seemed well enough. He looked up, and his tongue clicked at how high the exit was. Had teleporting crystals be able to be used here, he would've used it no doubt. And yet, they were trapped here.

'Hang on a minute,' an idea popped into the lad's head, and his face had adopted a thoughtful look. 'What's that one parkour trick..? It's uh… Wall-jumping! Of course, that could work!'

With renewed vigour, the lad took a few steps back, and—

*Boom!*

Took a running start with a spring in his step. Once a good distance was taken, he propelled himself into the air and towards the wall, he kicked off the wall and made his way towards the opposite end. Smiling at how this method was working so miraculously, he was able to keep it up, until—

*Boop.*

"Eh?" Blinking rather confusedly, he now noticed that his footing wasn't perfect now, and he had indeed slipped on a chuck of ice, before gravity decided to do its work. "NO NO NO NO NO NO!"

*Thud!*

A cry escaped the lad from the drop. It seemed that a tear had escaped him, and he made swift movement in pulling himself up. Cursing at himself for a brief moment, he noticed the strange sensation of something hard in the snow.

Curiosity already biting at him, he searched through the player-shaped hole that he had just formed. He pushed aside the snow, one stroke at a time, before he finally pulled out a…

'Crystal?' He inferred at first, seeing as how clean and smooth it was. 'But no. If it was, it would've broken when I dropped on it.'

The stone-crystal thing was a satisfying size of an American football, but had the shape to that of a cone. Somewhat. It was too hard to be ice, and it wasn't too soft like a crystal. And, being the idiot he is, Adam decided to trust his own deducing skills, when he could've just used his 'Appraisal' skill.

'Okay, let's backtrack a bit here… This is no way a trap, seeing as there weren't any mobs at all. I doubt the Developers would just put a hole in the ground for no reason,' the lad began pondering, mind already clouded with all sort of thought, until a certain saying entered his mind.

 _'Rumours have it that it builds up some sort of rare metal in its body.'_

"Back up a bit. Research states that the dragon eats local crystals, and the metal's found in its stomach. If I add what Lisbeth said, then…" Slowly, his eyes widened to the size of saucers at the realisation, as he was now staring at the crystal that he held in his hand. "Oh my God…"

"Whatcha' doing?" Lisbeth asked from behind the lad, effectively scaring him.

"H-Hey! At least greet me or something! You could've given me a heart attack!" Adam cried out in response, leaving a blinking blacksmith to drop into a few chuckles a moment later, much to his embarrassment.

Deciding to let it slide, he handed Lisbeth the cone-shaped crystal.

"W-Wait a second. Is this what I think it is?" She asked in breaths, before popping open an HUD screen. She glanced at the details, until her eyes landed on the name of the object.

'Crystallite Ingot.'

"You got it! It's the special metal we've set out to look for," he reminded her with a cheery smile. "It's like you said! The dragon eats the crystals, and then they turn em' into the metal. Shishishi! It's no wonder we couldn't find them much easier!"

"Good find, then!" She chimed back, before she wondered out loud. "But what is it doing down here, of all places?"

"What, you don't get it?" His eyebrow cocked as he spoke, surprised that the girl didn't understand. Her nodding only added to his surprise. "Okay, what would you like to know then?"

"What is this hole, first off," she inquired.

"Simple! This is the dragon's nest!" The lad chirped happily, unaware of how she had tilted her head in his response.

"S-So what does this have to do with the ingot?" She asked a moment later, still unsure at what the lad was trying to say.

"Easy! This is the dragon's nest, right?" He asked, pleased that the girl had nodded in response. "So, obviously it would come back here, since the place is its home, right?"

"Yeah, but you're dodging the question!" She huffed at him, annoyed with being teased.

"Okay, okay. To cut it all short, that," Adam emphasised as he pointed his finger at the ingot that Lisbeth held in her hands. "Is literally what comes out of us after we eat. P-O-O-P, poop."

…

Blinking in confusion, she exchanged glances between the swordsman and the ingot, until she finally made the connection.

"E-Eeeyeh!" She threw the ingot in the air, face scrunched up in disgust, which forced the lad to catch it before it made contact with the floor.

"Are you crazy?! If the ingot broke, we would've had to find another nest just to find the freaking thing!" The lad scolded the blacksmith, the latter still disgusted at the realisation. Sighing a moment later, he picked himself back up. "In any case, I'm out of ideas on how to get out of here. You?"

"I mean, that's important and all, but I just realised something…" She muttered under her breath, but it was still audible to the lad's ears.

"Go on," Adam beckoned his companion to continue with a shake of the hand.

"This is supposed to be the dragon's nest, right? I mean, dragons are nocturnal," she began, fear slightly hinging onto her. "So it won't be long until it…"

Both realising at what Lisbeth was trying to say, the two turned their heads to look upwards, until…

*RRrraah!*

There it was! The same dragon that Adam had nearly slew, its arm still dismantled and body slightly bruised.

"Oh, fudge…"

"Uh oh..!"

Both's face paled at the inclosing figure of the ice dragon, Adam feeling as if he was ready to just lay down and accept his fate, and Lisbeth seemingly growing frantic.

Not wasting a moment, the swordsman scooped up his companion, sagging her over his shoulder, before he ran up the wall, drawing his 'Elucidator' from its sheathe. The dragon snarled as it came ever more closer, and the lad had decided to toss a few 'Throwing Picks'—he released Lisbeth from his grip for a moment, before holding her tightly once more—towards the dragon, a few of the picks striking its eye.

*Rrrhhaa!*

Snarling in pain, it didn't even manage—

*Kngg!*

"Hoyaah!" To dodge the lad's attack, as he dug his black sword deep in the wyvern's flash, the latter roared as it began flapping its wings and skyrocketing all the way back to the top, leaving the lad struggling with his balance and the blacksmith screaming in fear.

*Whoo!*

The three—dragon, lad and blacksmith—continued at breakneck speeds, until—

*Kwaah!* *Chng.*

"Oh FUDGE!" The lad cried out as the dragon suddenly ceased in its tracks, sending its uninvited passengers flying off to the sky. Adam's blade didn't sink in enough, so all friction was lost there.

"Aaaah!" Lisbeth screamed as she flew upwards, but when she opened her eyes, her screaming suddenly came to a halt.

Because her gaze had dropped onto where the mountains had cleared out, and in the centre of it all was the mighty Sun, blazing and bright, but not enough to burn and hurt. It was a beautiful sight, and it took her mind of the fact that she was indeed in the sky.

"A-Amazing!" She was in awe with the sight, oblivious to the fact that she was about to fall to her death.

"L-Lis!" Said blacksmith broke out of her trance, turning to her side, and seeing that Adam was quite literally, swimming through the sky, in hopes of reaching her. He thrusted out an arm, and she took his hand, smiling a moment later.

"Hey, Adam!" She screamed as the wind lessened their falling speed, and possibly numbed their hearing abilities. "You know what?!"

"No! I don't know!" The lad screamed back, shaking his head in the process to get his point across, in case she couldn't hear him over the wind.

"I!" She screamed once more, and she was all the more prepared for this moment. "I love you!"

…

'Wait a minute…' Mind reeling at what she had just said, his head slipped backwards, a shocked expression present on his face. "You, what?!"

"Nothing!" She roared once more, as she pulled her companion, her _friend_ , into a tight embrace, the latter shuddering at first from the sudden action, but relaxing a moment later.

* * *

Later

It had seemed that our protagonist and our favourite blacksmith had made it out alive. The former thought it fitting to slay the dragon first, as he fell downwards and towards it, he pulled out his sword and ripped through the beast, effectively rewarding himself and Lisbeth experience points and mob drops.

In any case, as they had been making their way back to Lisbeth's smith shop—Adam had used a teleporting crystal to Lindas right after everything was over—the lad noticed how silent his companion was throughout the entire walk.

'I wouldn't blame her. Probably trying to make sense of everything that had just happened,' the lad reasoned with himself, fully sure that that was the reason as to why his usually loud companion was being so quiet now.

In any case, as they entered the back of the shop, Adam had decided to sit atop a nearby crate to watch the blacksmith work her magic.

"So, you'd like a one-handed longsword, huh?" She asked, wanting to make sure with his request.

"Ooh, yes please!" He nodded in enthusiasm, fully excited with her end product. "And make it cool!"

Nodding to his request, Lisbeth equipped her work-gloves and took out her smithing hammer. Not wasting a moment, she began heating the white ingot in the furnace, before striking it a dozen times soon after. It confused the lad for a moment, but the ingot glowed a bright, a blinding light, leaving the two closing their eyes with their arms.

Once the luminescence had died down, the ingot had now taken the form of an aqua-coloured blade, now sitting atop the table. Lisbeth wiped off a sweat from her eyebrow, before popping open the HUD on the weapon to check on its info.

"So, it's called the 'Dark Repulser'. And… it's not even on the Info Broker's Directory!" She informed her client, squealing with her last sentence. She turned to the lad, and passed him the sword. "Go ahead."

Nodding to her permission, he gave it a few swings across the air, eyes visibly trailing up and down the sword's length. It's weight was perfect, and it had a good reach. As strong as his 'Elucidator', he thought with a smile. He swung it one more time, this time upwards, before he rested it on his shoulder.

"H-How is it? Good, perhaps?" She asked, expecting a positive answer.

"You sure you want my answer?" Adam asked in a teasingly manner, which elicited a nod from the blacksmith—accompanied with a huff of annoyance. "Alright, alright… I love it!"

"R-Really?" She beamed at his compliment, overjoyed that her work had fulfilled his expectations.

"It weighs a lot, its length is better than it looks, and it feels as if it's as strong as my 'Elucidator'… Lisbeth, thank you!" The lad finally said with a slow nod, resulting in the blacksmith burning up in embarrassment.

"I-I..! You asked me to make it, and since you're my client, I couldn't say no!" She reasoned with the lad, her chuckle a mix of embarrassment, proud and nervousness.

"Nonetheless, thank you all the same," the lad said with a smile. "You know, it feels as if you had poured all your heart and soul into this blade. I might just get blown away if this blade starts pulsing wind!" The lad jested, before his mind suddenly cracked.

*Kkk!*

An imaginary glass broke in his head, and the lad began sweating at one horrifying realisation.

'Oh, fudge… How much is the sword..?' The troubles they went through; nearly dying from the dragon, the wind, the crystals, the steep hills, his teasings… 'Oh man. She's gonna' be a billionaire after this… I'm gonna' have to pay an arm and a leg for this thing!'

And he wasn't really fond of removing his limbs at all. He needed them very much, AND wanted them very much.

"O-Okay then. The job's done, s-so, I should be keeping my end of the deal," the lad said nervously, chuckling to mask his sudden uneasiness. "So, how much is it? Cause' I'm not really prepared to haggle, so try to go easy on me…"

"A-Actually… You don't have to pay me," she began, which elicited a surprised 'Huh?' from the lad before her. "Instead, I'd like to be your exclusive blacksmith from now on…"

"Hang on a minute," he was about to accept the offer, since he didn't have to pay! Buuut… "What do you mean by 'exclusive'? You've gotta' be a bit more specific, Lis."

"I-I, ahh…" She stuttered with each of her words, heat slowly rising to her face and fingers fidgeting with one another. Adam caught sight of this, and sweat-dropped.

'Yup, no doubt. We need to invent fidget-spinners in this world…' Adam thought, before he mentally chuckled, deciding to dismiss the idea.

"It's just… Whenever you're done hunting and all, I want you to come to straight here and let me do maintenance on your gear!" She explained, all the earlier tension apparently already dropping out of her. "Everyday from now on! Without fail!"

That request seemed… off. Why would she..?

'H-Hang on…' Thinking back on what she had said back when they were in the air, and what she was saying now, his face suddenly turned a shade of pink at what message she was trying to get across. "Wait. Lis, are you..?"

"A-Adam… I-I just…" She weakly held out her hand, ready to grip his shirt, until—

*Creak!*

"Lis!" A familiar voice was heard screaming from the door leading to the smithing area, until Lis—

*Thud!*

"Oof..!" Was tackled by a hug.

"Lis, I'm so glad!" Now realising who it was; the familiar rapier swords-woman that is Asuna.

"L-Lis?" Even the blacksmith hadn't expect her friend's sudden appearance. 'She must have been real worried, huh?'

"I was really worried!" Asuna definitely assured her friend's assumption there. "My messages didn't get through, and I couldn't find you on the map… Just, where did you go last night?"

"O-Oh. Sorry, we got stuck in a dungeon for quite a bit," Lisbeth nonchalantly spoke, a bit TOO calm for that sort of predicament.

"Wait, a dungeon?" The lass felt surprised at her friend's boldness, pulling herself away from her friend in the process. "You, in a dungeon, alone? Really?"

"Oh, no," the blacksmith shook her hands in denial, before pointing her finger behind her friend. "I went with him."

"A-Adam?" Asuna jumped slightly at his presence, the lad himself sweat-dropping at the fact of how he had been there since just now.

"Yes, I saw your hearty moment. Sorry about that," the lad sarcastically remarked, before his usual smile returned to his face. "Two days, it's been. I wish I could say 'It's been a long time', but that'd be a stretch now, wouldn't it?"

"Ah, I see. You were here already?" She seemed familiar with him, and Lisbeth could very well tell just by how the two spoke to each other. "If you told me earlier, I would've joined you, you know."

"Wait, you both know each other or something?" The pink-haired blacksmith finally spoke up after a while, hoping that she wasn't intruding on anything.

"Oh, somewhat," the lad began, a cry escaping him when he received a blow to his side by the lass's elbow. "Okay..! Yes, we do know each other. We're part of the clearing group, and that's that."

Hearing his words, her eyes widened in surprise.

"That day, he told me that he wanted to find a strong sword," Asuna began reminiscing. "So, I decided to point him to your shop."

"R-Really?" Lisbeth asked back, earning herself a nod from both the sword wielders.

"I seriously hope that you didn't do anything weird on my friend," the lass deadpanned at the black-cladded swordsman, the latter taking a little step away from her.

"Ahaha! I didn't, and can't!" The lad spoke back, nervously smiling and raising his arms defensively in front of him.

"I can't help but feel that you're lying," she retorted.

"Oi! Could you at least give us a break?" Adam cried out, arms crossed in front of him. "For your information, we nearly died yesterday! Go easy on me, for crying out loud!"

"That's why I keep telling you not to handle everything by yourself," the lass muttered back, messaging her temples as she spoke to him.

"Nn!" He suddenly voiced out, earning him a questioning look from the lass.

"N-Nn..?" She repeated, and she got a nod from the lad as a response.

"It means 'Nah'!" He cheekily spoke, remembering how it wasn't really supposed to be, but it had been the Japanese adaptation of a dragon's name. 'Her name was Nah, and her Japanese one was Nn. Huh, strange…'

Being there to watch them conversing, amicably if she might add, seemed to make Lisbeth feel somewhat… forlorn.

"Adam never said anything rude to you, did he?" Asuna asked her friend cheerily, before turning to her lad with a face of a murderer. "Because if he did…"

"H-Hey! If you kill me now, how am I supposed to be helping you out at the front? You'd have one man down!" The lad cried back, now keeping a good distance away from the swords-woman.

"He…" Both turning to the source of the voice, they could now very well see that their blacksmith companion was beginning to spoke. "Rude is way too little of a word! He even snapped by best sword in two!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! I thought you promised not to talk about it!" The lad whined, knowing now how much trouble he'd be in later. 'If I were to cross paths with Asuna, I mean…'

"Oh. I'm sorry about that, Lis," Asuna apologised in the lad's stead, the latter already in disbelief as to how quick she was to 'saying sorry'.

"Nn, it's alright," Lisbeth teased, chuckling a moment later, before she leaned into her friend's ear. "He's rude, but he isn't a bad person. That much is sure, so good luck!"

"G-Good luck?" The lass repeated, as her friend made her way towards the door. Snapped out of her trance, she looked to Lisbeth with a surprised look. "Wait, where are you—"

"Out to buy supplies!" Lisbeth spoke, voice becoming wavy and weaker as time went on. "I-I'm counting on you to watch over the store, alright!"

*Creak!* *Thd!*

"L-Lis!" Calling out to her friend didn't work there, and the rapier wielder had seen it already unimportant. Rather, she immediately turned to the lad with an angry expression. "What did you do to her?"

"Nothing. I swear," the lad replied, surprisingly calm with how he was being spoken to, effectively calming the lass's inner rage. "In any case, I plan to go get a new sheathe for my sword, and I can't do it with Lisbeth out of her shop. So…"

He turned to the lass, face already adopting a cheeky expression as per usual.

"You'll be looking over the store, and I'm going after your friend!" He exclaimed as he rushed out the shop, ignoring the girl's cries.

…

'Damn it… How did this happen,' Adam mentally cursed at himself, scratching the side of his head with his free hand—the other had been gripping his hip tightly. 'Again..?'

Now, he had to deal with four girls, and one more on the way. He was especially worried about how his harem would continue growing, and he wanted it to stop. And yet…

'I can't just leave them,' he reasoned with himself, his self-hatred slowly reducing momentarily. 'Because if I did, they'd be alone!'

Alone. He was the very definition of that. Yes, he had friends here and there, but when he's out at the front lines, he's always alone. He couldn't burden anyone with his problems and troubles, and he wanted to shoulder it all alone. And now…

Loving others was a blessing. A gift. So why was he so unhappy about it all? He was, because it meant that when the truth would come, he'd hurt so many. Could he just expose everything now, and gamble on their friendship?

'N-No… I don't want that,' he dismissed that idea with a shake of the head. 'I…'

He didn't know anymore. But one thing that he knew—that thought steeled his will—was that a friend was hurting. And he had to be there to get rid of her pain.

He had been making his way to where he thought she was. Based on the stories that he had read, as well as how the past would probably replay itself, he had instantly thought that she'd make her way to the bridge nearby, rather than going to purchase some stuff and all.

Though of course, he didn't have enough time, feeling as if he'd make a mistake if he were any later, so he had decided to climb the tower much earlier.

And when he made it there, she was definitely there, sitting with her knees pulled all the way to her chest, and face buried in her arms, which were crossed over her knees.

"Lisbeth?" He called out, having no faint idea on where she was. "Please tell me that you're here," he pleaded, stopping just at one end of the bridge.

"…" She tensed up at first, but the blacksmith finally rose, her back facing him as she looked to the wall. "You came a bit too early, you know that..?"

She turned around to look at him, and Adam felt his gut wrenching with guilt—tears had already formed in her eyes, and he felt as if he were the culprit here.

"If you came a bit later," she spoke as she wiped off the tears with her sleeve. "You could've spoken to the cheery and happy me, rather than now…"

"A-Ah, well… You know what they say, the early bird catches the worm, I guess..?" Adam's try in lightening the mood did bear a fruit, for he managed to elicit a chuckle from the girl, much to his thanks.

"How did you even find me?" She asked after a while.

"Okay, I was gonna' use my deducing skills," he gloated with a cocky grin, before it fell away. "But then, I was way too lazy to use that, so I used that," he explained as he pointed to the bell tower off in the distance, with Lisbeth following his gaze. "I stood at the top of the tower, and looked at the city, and… Well, I found you."

"M-Man, you really do come up with the craziest ideas sometimes, you know that?" She chuckled, to which Adam decided to join, albeit hesitantly. "Really though, I'm fine. I guess all the previous adventuring got me all excited and the like. So please, just…"

She had instantly dropped to a squatting position, looking at her reflection in the river for a brief moment, before she buried her face in her hands.

"Lis…" Guilt and pity welling up inside him, he didn't even realise how he had taken his steps towards her, or how he had somehow placed his hands on her shoulder. 'Wait, what the heck?! What am I—'

"Huh..?"

"A-Ahaha…"

And there the two stayed in their positions; with Lisbeth squatting and looking up to where the swordsman was holding her by the shoulder, and Adam standing there as he nervously chuckled out of awkwardness.

"I, uh… I was prepared to say something, but my mind slipped. Sorry," he spoke in an apologetic, yet jesting manner, not realising that the girl was slowly taking his hand.

"You know…" She spoke up after a while, after the lad's laughter had died down. "This reminded me back when we were still down in the dragon's nest. Trapped and all, and… That time you held my hand."

"Really?" He was genuinely surprised that of all the minor details she could have remembered, 'that' was what she remembered? "Anyone's hand would be warm."

"But it's strange… We're just a bunch of data as of the moment, and yet… Here we are, and it feels real, doesn't it?" She asked, smiling sadly.

"…" He thought over her words, before he responded. "It's the only thing I can think of as 'real'. Why? Because…"

He dropped to his knee, now on a face-to-face level with the blacksmith.

"All of you are here," he spoke gently, smile slowly fluttering to his face. "All the times I spent with you, it just… Feels amazing. I would've never expected myself to be fighting and all that bunch of junk, but I am! And, it's even amazing that I have you to call my 'friend'. That is, if you'd allow it."

"H-Haa…" She laughed at his words, but the smile was sincere, bright and most of all; happy. "I don't want to be your friend."

"Egh!" Pride and feelings shattered at her rejection, his head dropped a moment later. 'That's a first…'

Was that it? Is our protagonist gonna' be left friendless? …Wait, ahem! Smith-less? Eh? Eh?

"No…" Lisbeth shook her head, before she finally pulled his head close to hers.

"I want to be yours!"

"Wait, what do you—"

*Smooch!*

Eyes wide in shock, surprise, joy and confusion, it didn't need much indication that she had intended to kiss him, and she succeeded. Now, their lips were connected, and he had—somehow—instinctively pulled her closer by the hip and back, eliciting a moan from the girl, fuelling much of his new desire.

His desire of her.

'Damn it, get a grip, Adam! This is just a kiss, you've gone through this a ton of times!' He reasoned with himself, finally able to breathe as Lisbeth pulled herself away from him, her breathing unsteady. "W-Well… That was that, huh?"

"M-Mmhm," she nodded, panting all the while she did. "And I want it."

"Want what?" He asked, not understanding what she was trying to mean. 'A ring? A pendant? A bookmark? A—"

"I want that," she spoke boldly, blushing lightly as she spoke, and it took Adam a moment to get a clear understanding of what she meant, until his own blush formed.

"W-Wait, what the heck?!" He was taken aback at her rather forceful request, and had to stop himself from spewing other random stuff.

"I want it, Adam. I know you've been doing it with other girls, so I don't mind," she spoke with a calm smile; one that didn't help to soothe the lad, but rather add to his shock.

"Wait, how do you know that?!" He asked in an outrage, feeling as if a storm had just rammed against him at the mention of his harem.

"Well, you do have your personal merchant slash information broker. So, I just purchased the right info from him," Lisbeth winked at the blushing swordsman, tittering a moment later when he dropped his knees.

"I can't believe it…" He sobbed rather dramatically, unable to believe that he had just been backstabbed. 'That blond backstabber..! I'll make sure her punishment will even scare children!'

"But I really meant what I said," she kneeled so to make sure she was facing him, a smile gently rising onto her features. "You're the only one I want, now and forever."

"L-Lis…" He whispered her name, and that was all that existed; him and Lis, kissing once more, under the bridge's shadow.

* * *

 _She was beautiful, just as the other girls that he had loved._

 _Lisbeth had promised him to be his blacksmith, and his lover, the latter being something that the other girls he had met decided as well._

 _And as much as he knew he would sin too much, he had decided it too pleasant to let go. He would take the gamble, and if the world turned against him now, he'd let go of their hands._

 _He'd go to Hell alone, but he'd return to them when they wished it. Just as he promised that he'd end the game; for them._


	11. Chapter 10

"Don't let me down!" - Speech

'You look familiar…' - Thoughts

" _The war was over."_ \- Flashback / Emphasis

*Whoosh!* *Tzzz!* - Sound effects

" **This isn't good!"** \- Tatl / Tael Speech

' **How in the world?'** \- Tatl / Tael Thoughts

* * *

'`Chapter 10: Forgiveness Is A Virtue'`

 _His thoughts only returned to him; of how no matter how many times he would redeem himself, of how many times he'd ask for mercy, his sins would indefinitely drag him down to Hell._

 _It was that thought, that belief, that acted as his sole determination to end the game. That he'd put an end to everyone's fears. That he'd save them from death._

 _But, when his fairies saw it fit to end it all, they had decided to take everything into their own hands, and it was since then that he found it in himself to let go._

 _To smile and no longer hate himself._

* * *

That Night

" **Man, I'm having a hard time counting the number of lovers you have in your little circle by about now,"** Tael remarked, awed at the sheer number of her human friend's circle.

" **Let's see… There's Sachi, Silica, Argo, Yolko, and now Lisbeth,"** Tatl listed down, eliciting a choked cough from the lad. **"What? Did I get it wrong somewhere?"**

"You know, you didn't _really_ have to say em' all. Feels sort of awkward…" Adam whined, earning himself a few titters from his fairy friends.

He knew then, they were a lot of things they were, childish being one of them.

" **But seriously though, there's nothing wrong about this,"** the white fairy reassured the lad, the latter adopting a guilty look just as her words escaped her. **"They're okay with this, so don't blame yourself!"**

"They could've had a better person to love them. Not someone who's gonna' hurt them in the long run," he muttered, furious with himself.

" **Forget it, Adam. None of what you're saying is real. Trust us,"** Tatl spoke again. He worried that his human friend would indeed get himself hurt someday, and he wasn't prepared to see that day. It didn't matter what sort of pain it would be, he just didn't want it to happen at all.

"Thanks guys. I really appreciate it," he said with a gentle tone of voice, smiling widely and his features as smooth as a feather. "I don't know where I'd be without you guys."

" **Lost, since I'm the best navigator around!"** Tael spoke in a matter-of-factly tone, boasting as her brother and human friend laughed at her declaration.

"Yeah, that is a possibility," the lad nodded once more, before he stood from the couch where he sat, and made his way to a room down the hallway. "You gals just hang tight, alright?"

" **Onto what?"** Tatl jested, laughing with his sister, to which Adam decided to join in as well.

"Anything," Adam followed their humour, before finally leaving the living room. 'Man, how did it get to this?'

It was so bizarre. Just that evening, Lisbeth had professed her love for him, and she had kissed him just to get her point across. Now? She had asked him to do that with her, and he was all the more giddy than he was before.

And because of all this, just to avoid explanations with Asuna later on, the pink-haired blacksmith had invited him to her humble abode; a simple Victorian-styled house that reminded him of the British.

…Victorian came from Britain, right..?

Shaking himself of any previous thoughts—which I, as the narrator, don't know for some reason—he continued walking down the hallway, glancing at the various paintings hung on the walls left and right of him, until he finally reached a mahogany door on his right.

'Lisbeth's Room

Knock Before You Enter!'

Gulpingly, he obliged with the sign on the door, knocking on the door with his knuckle.

"You can come in…" The lad heard Lisbeth's voice from the other side of the door. Hesitantly, he moved his hand to the doorknob, and twisted it a slow twist.

*Creak…*

"Don't mind me…" The lad whispered as he opened the door even more, and finally got himself into the room. Not wanting anyone to accidentally walk in on their lovemaking session, he closed the door, and locked it. "Okay, that's done. Now—Whoa."

All other words felt like dry salt, as he could now very well see his blacksmith sitting atop the bed, in nothing more than just lingerie; black bra and grey underwear.

They were the colours he wo—Oh. Of course, she had presented herself before him in _his_ colours. Her hair was still as pink as they always were, and her face was brushed with the same colour of her hair.

"Jeez, don't stand there!" She scolded, her embarrassment betraying her supposed anger. "Do… Do something!"

"O-Oh yeah," sheepishly grinning, since this was awkward, he popped open his HUD, and went to his inventory.

*Krrh!*

All of his clothes and equipment bursted into nothing more than beautiful colours and lights. And now, he was standing far away from her, in nothing more than his boxers.

"Now, before we go any further, just… Don't say anything, alright..?" He asked, still nervous about all of this. She nodded, which helped to quell down his nervousness. 'Okay Adam, you promised her. Let's do it… You only live once!'

Taking in some air to ease the butterflies in his stomach, he placed his hands on the side of his boxers, slowly dragging them downwards, _very_ slowly, before he finally slipped off the under wear, and off of his legs.

"W-Whoa…" Her voice was lowered down to a hush, eyes wide in awe at the sight before him. "Y-You've been hiding, t-that?"

"You promised..!" The lad whined, crossing his arms and looking away from her as he blushed furiously.

"A-Ahaha, sorry about that… It's just," her gaze was still transfixed on him, specifically down there. "It's just… Do you think it'll fit?"

"I-I have no idea," Adam chuckled this time, the blacksmith sweat-dropped at his remark. "But I know it will. Trust me."

"O-Okay…" She nodded, and that sweet smile came to her again.

She breathed a nervous sigh, and—without doubts and her eyes screwed tight—she raised her hips slightly off the bed to remove the first piece of cloth, and kicking them aside. A moment later, the bra she wore joined the undies, and she laid immediately on the bed.

'FUUUDGE…' He couldn't lie now; she was beautiful. He had seen a naked girl a lot of times, but every experience was as rich as the previous one. Right now, he was going through another of those times, and he steeled himself to take the lead.

He moved closer, bending over the bed and towering just above her. He gulped, locking his right fingers with hers, silencing a cry when her grip over his fingers suddenly became ironclad.

"I-I'm scared…" She admitted, nervously averting her gaze from him in hopes of hiding her blush. "I, ahhn… I don't know wh-what to do…"

"It's okay, I'll take it from here," he reassured her, smiling gently and rather excitedly. The pleasure he'd feel every time he'd take a girl was definitely divine, and this wasn't gonna' be an exception. "So just… Ahhaa, just relax…"

She bit her lip, enough to bore a hole in it, but nodded anyways. She moved her hand to his shoulder, and he mirrored her movement.

And in one swift movement—

"AgGHHAaaa!"

"Aha-haa..!"

He claimed her! The feeling, the surging pleasure… He can't lie; he wanted more! The feeling of her wrapped tightly all around her, and the way she made those little movements, he just… He wanted more! He wanted to pull himself back out, and slam himself back again!

"Hhaa… Wha..?" Only after his slightly-blurry vision returned to him, he now noticed how the blacksmith's face was scrunched up in pain, a pained cry escaping her, which forced away all his thoughts. "L-Lisbeth? Lisbeth! Are you alright?!"

"A-Aha, ow…" She moaned a mix of pleasure and pain, her eyes briefly opening to look at him before they screwed tight once more. "S-Sorry, it just… It hurts…"

It was so bizarre. This world was just a world of data, of ones and zeros, but things like this… Would that mean that in the real world, she'd lose her—

"I did not need to think that!" The lad roared out loud, not even minding that he had just voiced out his thoughts. He shook his head of all the indecent thoughts, and looked back to his lover. "Lis, tell me… Do you, do you want to stop?"

"No!" She snapped almost instantly, sounding rather needy and forceful. "Please, don't go…"

"B-But you're hurt!" He reasoned with her, but he received a shake of the head from her, accompanied with a pained smile.

"It does, but it's okay…" Lisbeth's voice was now a whisper, and it took her every ounce of her willpower just to sound louder. "I-I like it… Feeling you in—Ahha… Inside me, it hurts, but I like it…"

"Lis…" He muttered her name, before he leant in to place a chaste kiss on her lips. "We'll take it slow, alright?"

Not even responding with words, she gave him a nod.

And it went on like that; with Adam keeping up the memento, and Lisbeth being there to accept him—figuratively and literally. The tension in the room was now a scattered mess, replaced with love and wanton lust.

Her moans filled the room, accompanied with the lad's grunts and groans, as well as the sound of hip slapping hip after a while. The two made love that night, and it was just as romantic as any other love; with Adam ramming himself into her as fast as he could, but not enough to injure his lover, and Lisbeth moaning aloud with her tongue lolling out of her mouth and drool slowly snaking out.

"S-Something's..!" She forced out, feeling some sort of churning down below.

"It-It's okay..! You're doing great! Ahha…" He calmed her before she had developed any anxiety, and he forced himself into her ever faster.

"GhhAHA!" The room was filled with the sounds of their lovemaking, as well as their panting and other things. The bed shook rather terribly from all the force, but did that really matter? They could always buy another.

"L-Lisbeth! I-I'm, aargh! I'm getting closer..!" He moaned several minutes later, feeling the breaking point approaching him.

"Ah-Ahn, Hgaah!" Lacking any other words to say, Lisbeth merely laid there, hands losing their grip over Adam's shoulder, and her words lost each time he pushed in her.

"I-HaGHAA!"

"UgHHaa!"

Both moaned in unison, as Adam finally reached his limit, letting loose into her as string after string of his essence made its way into her, and Lisbeth merely gaping at the sensation, unable to voice out any of her feelings.

"W-Whoa…"

"Uuhh…"

Both dropped to the bed a moment later, realising as they had been unable to do anything more, and they soon realised that they were now string into each other's eyes, their lust satiated for now.

"O-Okay, I may h-have went overboard there, huh?" Adam jested, seeing as he was unable to say anything more.

"N-No kidding," Lisbeth giggled in response, feeling better than she ever was, and sleeping tightly in the embrace of the man she loved, she slept better than she had ever before. "Thank you…"

* * *

Three Days Later

" **I still think it's an amazing accomplishment, to have** **done it with five girls,"** Tatl voiced out his thoughts, responded only with a choked cough from the lad. **"Adam? Are you alright? Do you need water?"**

"No!" The lad in question snapped back, blushing vividly like blood had been smeared all over his face. Or, at the very least, ketchup. "No, that's not it! I mean, how could you say that so casually?!"

" **I guess us fairies don't really care about details like that,"** Tael chimed in, visibly oblivious to her human friend's sudden bashfulness.

"Yeah, but do I have to be the topic of it all?!" He shot back, blush still present on his face.

" **Yes, / Yeah,"** the fairy twins replied in unison. Adam groaned, knowing now that it was undoubtedly useless to argue with them even further.

" **Oh, think about it like this! Now, you can literally be called a philanderer! Or a womaniser,"** Tael suggested, earning herself a stare from the lad. "What?"

"I do not want to be called that," he deadpanned. "I mean, think about it! On the headlines of the newspapers! 'Adam, The Womanising Swordsman Strikes Again!' Do you know how embarrassing that is?"

" **Haha! That sounds hilarious!"** The younger white fairy laughed at the lad's whining, whilst her brother nervously chuckled.

" **I can see what you mean,"** the black fairy spoke, seemingly able to understand his human friend much better than his sister.

"Aah! See? It's weird, awkward, and just plain disgusting!" Adam added, responded with a nod from his black fairy friend. Sighing a minute later, he stood from the chair he sat at. "In any case, we've got to make our way to Lis's place. I heard that everyone else is there, except for Asuna."

" **Based on the info that I got, as well as my perfect navigating skills,"** Tael spoke in a matter-of-factly tone. **"Asuna is currently training the 'Knights Of Blood' rookies."**

"Seriously? I would've never taken her as the patient type," Adam whistled, surprised with the strawberry-blonde's actions. 'Well, she is Asuna, so anything is possible.'

Deciding to end their conversation there, the fairies took their positions back in the lad's hair, seeing as that was much more comfortable than anywhere else. Adam exited the inn's room where he stayed at, and took out a teleport crystal.

"To Lindas!" He roared as he thrusted his arm into the air.

* * *

June 28th 2024, Floor 48—Lindas

*Krrh!*

Blinking at the change of scenery, from an old village-y looking area, to that of a Victorian-styled town, he took a moment to regain his sight, since the light from the warping had seemed to blind his sight by a slight.

'Here we are,' he reminded himself. Lindas. The same town where Lisbeth had set up shop at.

Lindas was always a good town to wander around. It always had something new—just like the other towns, and there was always _something_ going on. If there weren't, then he could just take a stroll through the town itself, able to get a good scent on the whiff of freshly-baked bread and roasted poultry.

Which, of course, he had to pull himself from buying them, in case his friends had already prepared food, and that he didn't want to seem rude by not eating what was already there.

Shoes clacking against the cobble pathway, he took a path out of the town, making sure that he didn't stray from his path. Surely enough, he could finally spot the—apparently—Bavarian-styled building with its own waterwheel that rotated as the river passed it.

Stepping right in front of the building's door, he took a close look at the sign on the door.

'Lisbeth's Smith Shop.'

Pleased to know that he had indeed reached his destination, he was just about ready to knock, when suddenly—

"YAAAAH!"

"Hmm?"

He could hear the distant screaming of a woman, which immediately captured his attention. Seeing as there were nothing else to do, he pulled out his 'Elucidator', and made his way towards the source of the voice.

…

Jogging to the town's square, his eyes widened in horror when he saw a red player brandishing his knife at the lady he held in front of him, whilst the crowd just watched from afar.

"Yargh, that's right! Ya' piggies don't know what to do, eh?" The ruffian spoke with an outlandish accent, seemingly oblivious to the strange looks some NPC's and players were giving him.

"Let her go," a familiar voice demanded, and Adam had to tiptoe just to see who it was, seeing as the crowd were blocking his field of vision. "I'm sure there's a peaceful solution to all this…"

"Agh, there is!" The ruffian spat, mucus and bits of spit flying out as he spoke, eliciting a few disgusted cries from the crowd. "All of you hand me your gold, and I'll just leave. That is, once I take this woman's chastity!"

'Wait, he WHAT?!' His ears weren't fooling him. The ruffian had just declared he would _rape_ his hostage! What the hell?!

"N-No, please!" The woman was indeed another player, looking to be in her mid-twenties. "Anything but that, please!"

"Argh, shut yer' yapping!" The ruffian snarled, tightening his hold over her wrist, eliciting a pained cry from his hostage.

"Okay, this has gone long enough…" Adam muttered, before playing the same card he had played the very first day.

Not wasting a moment, Adam climbed a building behind the ruffian, all the while being stealthy so as to avoid attention, and making his way to the rooftop.

"I'm getting a sense of déjà vu, since this happened already," the lad mused to himself, grinning as if there weren't any problems. Now, positioned steadily over the rooftop, and—most importantly—overlooking his target, his face adopted a focused look. "Okay then, just like last time."

He pulled out a needle from his inventory, one that had it's end dipped in paralysing poison, before taking the same stance he had before.

"This should be easy," the lad commented, as he held his right hand, which held the needle, close to his cheek. He was ready to shoot, and his breathing was steady.

"Come err, you sheepies! What, too much of a pussycat to get slaughtered?!" He cackled, grip on his hostage still tight.

…

"Argh, screw it," Adam finally huffed, before tossing his needle to the ground, and—

*Fwoo!*

"Wait, what's he doing? / Huh? / He just jumped!"

"Ehh?"

Jumped from the rooftop. With his cover blown, everyone began muttering to each other about his actions. The ruffian, having heard of their conversation, looked up.

"Oh, sh*t…" And realised that the lad was indeed falling towards him.

*Thud!*

"Whoa!" The crowd backed up, dust picking up after a while, and it took a moment for the dust cloud to settle. Once everything disappeared, they now realised that—

"Easy!" There was now a smiling lad standing atop a now-unconscious ruffian, and the woman was now standing a good distance away.

"A-Adam?"

"Mmm?"

Hearing his name called, the lad in question looked to the source of the voice, and now realised that the voice indeed belonged to—

"Keita?" The lad's eyebrow cocked in surprise, seeing as his past guild leader was the one who had stood up to the ruffian. "Hey! How are you doing?"

"Good, thanks," Keita nodded, before he swapped glances to the ruffian. "Although, I bet _he_ isn't."

"Hmm?" Following his ex-guild leader's gaze, the lad finally noticed the presence of the ruffian's body laying just beneath his feet, the latter unconscious. "Oh yeah."

With all his thoughts processed, he finally got off from the ruffian, allowing the city folk—the NPC—to deal with the wrongdoer, much to the lad's gratitude. Whilst he would have enjoyed dragging the ruffian off to some sort of 'town prison' by himself, he wasn't really in the mood for it.

Plus, he had something else to do.

"Oh yeah!" Finally remembering the reason as to why he came all the way back to Lindas from the front lines, he frantically jumped a bit. "I forgot, the others had called me on something!"

"Really? Is it the rest of your friends?" Keita asked, surprising the previously frantic lad, who had now calmed down.

"Oh? So you know?" The lad inquired, earning a nod from Keita.

"Yup! In fact, I was invited as well, seeing as I'm your friend as well," the brunette nodded with a toothy smile, one that Adam was more than happy to return.

"Well, of course ya' are! You've literally given me a home back when I…" The lad paused, searching for his words, until he finally decided to give up with a sigh. "Sorry, mate. I think I forgot."

"Seriously? _Forgot_ being with us?" The brunette teased, earning himself a pout from his ex-member. He chuckled, looking to the clock that was attached to the tower's face. "Wow. We better get going, huh?"

"Yeah, let's go!" The lad ran off, followed suite by a chuckling brunette.

* * *

Later, Floor 50—Adam's Home

You read that right; everyone will be gathering at Adam's house. It wasn't anything grand, just a simple two stories building that was built of fine hard oak, divided into two rooms at the first floor; a living room with couches and a TV, and kitchen with its own table, chairs, fridge and quartz flooring. The second floor was accessed by a flight of stairs, which only housed his bedroom.

"Wow, sweet place!" Keita whistled, looking at the building with much awe. He noticed the shift from earth to stone, now realising that the lad had constructed a pavement in the ground in path towards the house.

"Meh. It's alright, at most," Adam shrugged, pausing to look under one of the stones. He fished around the ground, pushing aside a little bit of the cobble and dirt to pull out a key from a key-shaped hole that was formed in the ground.

"You hid your key in the ground..?" The brunette sweat-dropped. Of all the things he would have expected, he was expecting the lad to have brought the key with him.

"No one would've expected that," Adam proudly stated, walking towards the door to click the key in, and twist the door knob open. "Plus, you didn't."

"You're not wrong there…" Keita sighed, before he entered after Adam, closing the door behind him. "Strange. I thought the others were here already."

"Not really. I wanted to get here early so they wouldn't have to wait for me," the lad explained, earning himself an amazed stare from his ex-guild leader. "What? Is it something on my face?"

"Nothing, it's just… You sure don't like troubling people, huh?" At that witty remark, a sigh escaped the black haired lad. He blinked at the reaction, fully expecting that he'd say something to express his anger or chagrin.

"That's the thing. I… No matter how much I try to redeem myself, I'm still sinful anyways, no matter what I do…" The sad and harsh tone Adam had adopted elicited a worried look from the brunette. He inwardly cursed, immediately turning himself away to occupy himself with something else rather than talk to the other person.

"Adam?" Even though only his name was voiced out, said lad in question couldn't help but flinch in response. Keita prepared to go closer, until the lad turned around with a smile that looked to be forced.

"I'm fine, Keita. Really, worry yourself with what you're going to hydrate yourself with," Adam poorly jested, tongue dry after he nearly exposed his true self. He left the room, leaving Keita worried and concerned.

* * *

Evening

After a while, everyone else had finally arrived. Though late as they were—since they were supposed to be here early afternoon—he was plentiful happy that they were here already.

First came in Klein and Agil, the latter having to have brought with him fresh Alsace Blanc. Adam had been lenient enough to allow it into the house, so that gained him some extra trust points. Though, of course, he had chosen to keep his floodgates shut to the drink, so that meant extra for the two other males.

Then, came in Sachi and the other members of the 'Moonlit Black Cats' came in three minutes later, the blue haired girl smiling with a blush when the view of her lover came into view. She couldn't stifle the laughter she tried to hold back when the lad flinched upon her touch.

An hour later—or should I say, half an hour later, Silica and Lisbeth came in with a present for him, consisting of fresh fruits from the forest and a newly crafted dagger. But what wasn't the surprise there…

Was his dark scent that lingered on them, with their own scents mixed in with the other; Lisbeth possessing the chestnut haired girl's whiff of scales, feathers and sunshine; and Silica possessing the pinkette's traces of iron and hot steel, as well as warm, mellow things from her time smithing.

Two nights ago, he had been approached by Silica, who seemed to have been lost, being in a foreign place like a deer out of a forest. Together, they stayed a night at an inn, adding in Lisbeth's name to the list of people when they saw her just around the corner.

And boy, howdy! That night was so passionate, Adam could swear his eardrums could've popped from all their _screams_ and _moans_. Needless to say, it was so good, _too_ good in fact, that the girls found themselves licking each other, sore in the morning as well.

But putting all that aside… The house was soon joined by Argo, who had finished her merchanting rounds, just earlier. She flashed a wink at the lad, the latter shuddering when she swiped her touch across his back, just to tease him by a bit.

And then, Yolko joined a moment later, having to have dealt with the 'Golden Apple' case already. She couldn't help but want to help him out when saw a brief flash of pain on his features when he carried a heavy box down the stairs. But chose not to when he decided to reassure her, waving off her concern with a grin.

A forced grin, enough that it fooled her at least.

Keita? Maybe not. But he'd need to be able to fool the others just in case.

And after that, came in Asuna, ever graceful as she was. He shied away from her, pulling strange looks from the strawberry blonde. Again, he forced a smile in case suspicion would catch up with her, so he was lucky enough that she said nothing.

She was a good friend. She had saved his life on many occasions, and he had saved hers. Throughout the years on the battlefield, they had grown to become one of the closest swordsmen there ever were out there.

But besides the respect, he was _scared_ of her. Being the vice commander of the 'Knights of Blood', the strongest guild there was in the world of 'Sword Art Online', it was without doubt that she was indeed skilful. He was there, able to see how good she was at fighting, and it scared him just how good she was out of it.

Cooking, sewing—she had helped him patch up his coat when he got it torn once, making friends… If so, how good was she at identifying a case? He may have solved the 'Golden Apple' case back there, but something like this? She'd found out, no doubt, and he feared the consequences.

As such, he needed to time this right.

"Hey Adam!" Said lad snapped out of his thoughts at the calling of his name, looking to his right to see Klein holding his tattered sword. "You're good at fixing things! Can you fix my katana?"

"Hey! I'm here too, you know!" Lisbeth huffed, sitting at the couch lazily before she hastily turned herself around to face him, angry and annoyed at the same time.

"Well, Adam is perfect at everything!" The samurai retorted as he disappeared from the lad's peripherals, assumably walking back into the living room.

Also, as a note, Adam is in the kitchen. In case you don't know.

* * *

That Night

"Everyone…" Adam called out, as softly as he could so to not alarm Asuna, who was currently upstairs, busy using his bedroom's bath to clean herself.

…Yolko accidentally spilled a bowl of soup onto the strawberry blonde, so that was that. So, from there, the lad learned that the purplette is a clumsy girl. A clumsy, beautiful girl.

"Yes?" Silica was first to respond, followed suite by everyone else in unison.

"Listen, I…" The lad paused, suddenly feeling his eyes wet, accompanied with the feeling of something on his face and the concerned looks on everyone's faces. He moved a finger to the part that felt moist and damp, instantly realising that those were tears.

He was _crying_.

"Adam? Are you alright?" His good samurai friend was the first to act, getting to the kitchen to take some tissue with him. The lad mouthed his thanks, wiping away the moisture, but it proved futile when even more tears flowed out.

"I-I…" He bit the inside of his cheek, the pointy teeth that ripped the tongue drawing a bit of blood. Should he tell them? This was the only chance he knew he'd have of confessing his sins, so… "Ca-Can we have Asuna leave first..? I just, I don't want her to be here when I-I…"

That was when the floodgates broke down. Of all the things he thought would've been possible, he would've never thought of himself breaking down in front of his friends would have been a thing. And he _did_ ; sobbing all of a sudden that instantly got everyone's attention.

His lovers were just as quick to his side, trying to comfort him with little to no understanding of what was transpiring. Klein and Agil had shared a brief look between each other, before the two of them gave a nod at each other.

"Girls," Agil's voice was serious, much more than it usually was, managing to catch everyone's attention. "I need you to get him to the kitchen. Don't let him out until we give you the signal."

Nodding back in response, Sachi wasted no time in leading him towards the kitchen, the other girls in tow. She flinched at the sudden embrace he gave her, all the water soaking her dress. Even then, she didn't pull away, rather holding him closer to her as she moved slowly towards their destination.

*Tk.* *Tk.* *Tk.*

Forcing his hands to shut his mouth, he tried his very best to stop himself from sobbing any louder, in fear that Asuna would come any closer to the kitchen. His eyes widened further when he felt his hands being pulled off his lips, and then—

Someone's lips was connected to his. Pleasure reigning dominant over his sadness. Sachi, the very same girl he fell in love with, was kissing him. Unable to contain himself, his eyes screwed shut as he deepened his kiss with the girl, almost close to forcing her to moan.

Through their 'activity', he could hear Asuna questioning Agil and Klein where the others were, the large man answering in place of his samurai companion, who was stuttering. She seemed suspicious at first, but it was by much luck that she bought it in the end. The last thing he heard was the front door opening, creaking shut after a while. And then, Keita decided to leave as well, his guild in tow; he saw it fit to leave, after seeing Sachi mouthing him a few words.

…

"Okay, we're good," he heard Klein give out a breath of relief, accompanied with the signal to come out.

The moment his lover's lips left his own, he realised just how weak he was. Needed to be comforted… In a time that he was weak. He wanted to help! Not be helped! And yet, there was nothing that he could've done.

Leaving together with everyone else, he took a seat at one of the couches, slumping down and body so weak that he felt he was just about ready to fall forwards, until he felt Lisbeth steadying him with her arms. He flashed a weak, tired smile at her, before gesturing for her to join everyone else at the couch opposite of them. She complied, hesitantly.

"So, I guess you… might want to know why I'm like this…" He motioned to himself, responded with a slow nod from everyone. He briefly glanced downwards, searching for his words, until he faced them once more with renewed determination. "I… did many wrong things to you girls, and it didn't sit right with me."

"What… do you mean?" Being the first to have fallen head over heels for the lad, it was without question that the blunette was the first to speak up, face written with worry and concern.

"I… know, that all of you know of my relationship with each and every one of you. Please, I beg of you…" The next moment, everyone could see the lad dropping from his couch and falling into a bow, in his own home. "Can you forgive me..?"

And time paused, everything at a standstill, as everyone watched the lad still in his bowing position with widened eyes.

He was doing this… No doubt Tatl and Tael were watching him, but he didn't care. He wanted—needed everyone to see this, even when he was being weak as of the moment. He needed everyone to know his true self, no matter what.

And if what he feared most… If his friends would find him repulsive and leave him, so be it.

'At least…' He reasoned, eyes already dried out due to loss of moisture. 'At least I'll die alone…'

Was what he thought would happen.

"Adam… You've been shouldering this all alone, haven't you?" Klein sighed, disappointment and sorrow hidden in his breath. "Sorry we've been letting you do this all alone since before…"

"I don't get it. The girls definitely don't mind, why do you feel so bad about this?" Though the large man's tone sounded anything but pitiful, it definitely held said emotion.

"Because, I was scared that I hurt them…" Admitting this felt like a huge weight off his shoulders, and he couldn't wait for all this pressure to lift off of him already.

"What are you talking about?!" The tone that Lisbeth had adopted—though not purposed to be harsh—sent the lad to flinch in fear, immediately sending a pang of guilt in her. "S-Sorry… I mean, why would you think that way? All of us aren't sad or anything."

"I… was scared… Scared that you'd get hurt because you have to share me…" He admitted once more, feeling a little sting on the back of his heart fade away into nothing.

"But we're fine with it," Silica reassured, a sweet smile on her face, despite knowing full well that he wouldn't see it. "Besides, Lisbeth and I… w-we did it with you, after all. W-We did it with you together… two nights ago…"

"S-Silica! You didn't have to tell everyone about that!" The pinkette blushed shades darker than her hair, shaking the petite girl vigorously without a care in the world.

"Lisbeth! Stop already!" Yolko pleaded, moving in to pull the chestnut haired girl away from her friend's grasps, Argo chiming in to help a moment later.

"Oh dear..!" Sachi too joined in to help, fully in awe at the raw strength behind the blacksmith's grip.

Curiosity already biting at him, he glanced up… only to see a somewhat hilarious scene playing out. With Yolko and Sachi trying to separate Lisbeth and Silica, he found himself almost ready to laugh, but held himself back. Agil's eyebrow cocked upwards, a tug at the corner of his lips into a tiny grin.

"See, Adam? The girls don't really mind. You can see it for yourself," ever the wise person Agil was. "Besides, they said it so themselves. What's worrying you so much?"

"I-I…" For the first time since the beginning, he found himself unable to understand anything. What was this; some sort of illusion? Here he was, all mopey for admitting some pretty heavy stuff, and they were all forgiving him? That easily?

"You're scared that they wouldn't forgive you at the end of everything, am I wrong?" At his question, the lad nodded, Agil smiling in response. "Well, they did. Now what do you plan to do?"

Plan to do? Again, he didn't know. All he did know was that the girls had already ended their friendly little banter. What now? He looked to the girls, swapping his gaze from their eyes to the next, looking for… something.

And in their eyes, he saw… hope. Hope for what?

"Adam…" He looked to his left, now seeing the worried look on her first lover's features. "Please… you're not at fault. You never did anything wrong."

And the air felt lighter, warmer as smiles etched themselves onto their faces. His was confused; why were they smiling? Of all the things he had thought would've happened, he thought they would at least scold him—Screw it, he thought they would at least leave by now!

"Why… I don't get it… I did something wrong!" He rose from his previous position, now standing high and tall as he looked dead straight at the blunette. "I hurt all of you! How could be fine with this?!"

"But you never did anything wrong," the pink haired blacksmith was next to speak, smiling sweetly as she walked forwards and took her right hand in hers.

"But I worried you… I'm at the front lines, so I could always die…" Adam couldn't lie; it made sense, somewhat. "I could always be dead the next day, and you're always going to be worried about me… I just can't stand it…"

"We'll be worried about you nonetheless," Silica's soft voice penetrated the brief silence, pretty smile on her face as she held the lad's hand with her own soft pairs, sharing it with Lisbeth. The two swapped a brief glance together as they shared a smile, before looking to him with wide eyes of joy.

"If you really thought that we'd worry about you when you're just in the game, then you're wrong. It's just part of nature, Adam. You worry about us as well, just like right now," Argo teased, taking his free hand just as quick as she were to catch him by surprise.

"B-But..! I was always leaving you behind in the end…" That wasn't a lie, he knew it that much. It was pretty strange how each and every time he'd do that with the girls, he'd be gone the next day. Or someday after that. Or whatever! He'd leave, and that was the point here!

"But you came back in the end," Yolko stepped up next, taking his left hand smoothly, as if it were a delicate treasure just ready to break into a million fragments at one single touch. "You never did leave us. You always came back to us. You're just too stubborn to stay away, after all~!"

"B-B-But…" Now, he was truly confused. Was this it? Was redemption this easy? He hoped for it so much, he was in utter disbelief when it did happen. "But I couldn't choose one of you…"

"Because I was the one who told you to love everyone," his first lover softly spoke, moving closer to him that he realised that he almost took a step back. She shared his hand with Yolko, pecking him once on the lips before pulling backwards. "I wouldn't want them to be lonely… What if no one was there to love them in the first place?"

"..!" And for the first time, the barrier that shielded his mind was removed, replaced with only that single thought. What if, there were really no one that found the girls attractive? What if they were left alone? What if they were that way until they escaped the game world? What then?!

And then it hit him; Sachi was trying to get that message to him from the very start. She wanted him to know from the very start! She wanted him to understand! Why… Why hadn't he seen it from the very beginning? Was he that blind?

"You really are the greatest person, Adam! You were patient with me to help me get used to the game! No one else did that!" The exuberant Klein laughed, smiling widely as gave the larger man a one-arm hug.

"Same here. I don't have a lot of clients, so you being my usual really helped me out," Agil spoke calmly, giving the samurai a jab when he felt as if the samurai was trying to tickle him, eliciting a pained chuckle from the latter.

"Yeah! You helped me out back there, even came up with a way to revive Pina in case anything happened to her! No one ever did that for me!" Silica chirped, grinning adorably as her large orbs stared back at Adam's.

"Mmhm! Even though I was being so annoying back there, when it was literally freezing, you still watched out for me. I don't think I could've been able of that…" Lisbeth the blacksmith added, blushing as she reminisced about the time down there in the dragon's den.

"You helped reconnect my guild, and finally end that trouble with with Griselda… She will be at peace now, and it's thanks to you," Yolko tucked her purple hair behind her ear, hands growing warm when they made contact with his once more.

"I was always so untrustworthy, but you were one of the only friends I could consider my real friends, and I've got to say, that's pretty amazing of you," Argo complimented, smiling coyly as she kept her stare locked onto his eyes.

"And you made me feel safe," the last girl, Sachi whispered, beautiful as she always was. "You comforted me… When I thought I was going to die… You made me feel safe. You never made me feel alone, you were always like my shield."

"That's why…" The girls spoke in unison, smiling beautifully as they ever had as his began to water once more. "We love you…"

* * *

 _And when all five of their lips made a deep kiss with his, he found himself at peace, no longer feeling the searing pain in his heart as he once felt before._

 _Two days later, only did he learn that his fairy companions were the ones that orchestrated, that planted the seed of the thought into his head._

 _But never once did he lose his trust in them ever again. Ever since then, he loved them even more. And he loved his friends more._

 _And he came to love and accept himself as well. As who he was._

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the late updates, especially for my 'Fire Emblem Heroes' story. Truth is, I'm currently undergoing Malaysian PT3 examinations, so be a little patient with me. Thank you!


	12. Chapter 11

"Don't let me down!" - Speech

'You look familiar…' - Thoughts

" _The war was over."_ \- Flashback / Emphasis

*Whoosh!* *Tzzz!* - Sound effects

" **This isn't good!"** \- Tatl / Tael Speech

' **How in the world?'** \- Tatl / Tael Thoughts

* * *

'`Chapter 11: Blades in Love'`

 _All her time in the world of 'Sword Art Online', the only mission on her mind was to end the game, and to free all from the death world._

 _The very same world that she met the same boy she fell in love with._

 _Of every choices she had made, she had never expected herself to have done everything for him. And ever since then, she had never opted to leave his choice, choosing to be his from then on._

* * *

June 28th 2024, Floor 50—Adam's Home

"Whoo~! Thank goodness he invented a shower in his bathroom…" Asuna sighed as she exited the bathroom, wiping her body with a spare towel, before popping open her inventory and—

*Krrh!*

Materialising her clothes around her. She blinked back the slight blindness from the strong light, before a smile popped up on her face at the sight in the mirror; a beautiful strawberry blonde dressed in white and red, a proud rapier sheathed at her waist.

Of course, she could never say that out loud. She'd be called mad for calling herself pretty. But of course, it acted as a sort of motivation. Hey, if it helps, why not?

After everything was done, she left the room, clicking the doorknob shut before making her way down the stairs. Careful steps, but it surprised her when the only people she saw in the living room were Agil and Klein, the two having hardened expressions.

"Klein? Agil? Where are the others?" She asked, curious and confused at the same time. Looking to Klein for answer, she noticed how the samurai was struggling with his words, suspicious reaction there.

"They left already," Agil easily answered with a shrug, looking over to the window. "I wanted them to stay, but each of them had something important to tend to."

"Y-Yeah, and we got left behind," Keita suddenly spoke up, clearing his throat in an attempt to break the threatening silence.

"Jeez, they could have at least waited for us…" Ducker huffed, inwardly proud at his acting abilities. No doubt he would gloat about it back at home, Keita thought.

"We were hoping that we could get back together, but it seemed that the girls were just a bit too impatient," Tetsuo quipped, smiling coyly as he slumped into a couch. "No doubt that they're out looking for Adam."

"Adam?" He went out? They never mentioned him leaving. All she knew was that Sachi, Yolko, Lisbeth and Silica had left, not Adam. "He left as well? What for?"

"Apparently out to look for something," the purple dressed brunette shrugged, looking to his leader with shut eyes that would have been displaying hope if they were opened. "What was it again, Keita?"

"I-I… don't remember…" The brunette of a leader sighed, accompanied with a laugh from his male team members. "In any case, everyone's left. Sorry that we couldn't hold them back or anything."

"No, no… It's alright," though that little seed of doubt itched her, she managed to push it aside. Asuna looked to Klein immediately, the latter flinching in response to the sudden shift of attention. "Klein, do you think you could leave Adam a message when he does get back?"

"S-Sure," the samurai slowly nodded, before straightening his posture. "Anything you need."

"Alright, you see… Just give him my thanks for inviting me to his house, and for letting me use his bathroom," she explained, responded with an understanding 'Ohh' from the samurai.

"Don't worry, I'll get the message across then!" The samurai gave her a thumbs up, before looking to the grandfather clock off in the corner. "Oh, dang. It's pretty dark already. Don't you have practice tomorrow?"

"Hmm?" Following his gaze to the clock, she paled. "Oh… I do..!"

"Don't worry, you go ahead. We'll tell Adam when he gets back," Agil nodded his head with a little smile in an effort to reassure her. She smiled back, waving at them as she twisted the door knob open, leaving the room—

*Creak.* *Click.*

And ultimately out of his house. A moment later, the door swung wide open once more, with Keita and his team members leaving as well. She asked of Sachi, of which the leader stated that they'd pick her up next time.

She hummed in understanding, walking away under the moonlit night.

* * *

October 17th, 2024—Floor 74

" **Aren't** _ **you**_ **in a happy mood**?" Tael giggled, happy that her and her brother's efforts in lifting off that pressure that hurt him had now faded.

"Yeah! And there's _nothing_ that can take away that good mood~!" He whistled, holding up his 'Dark Repulser' to parry a slash from a 'Lizardman Lord', before dealing a downward slash on it, effectively killing it in one swing.

" **You're not wrong about that,"** Tatl chuckled, happily buzzing around as his human friend tossed his blade into another 'Lizardman Lord's gut, all the while slicing another one up with his other sword. **"Though, it's almost comparable to that of being mad…"** The black fairy sweat-dropped, nervously chuckling when his friend picked up his sword.

"I can't help it! Ever since I got all of it off my chest, I just can't help but feel… awesome!" He declared, holding up his sword to block an attack, dealing a single strike with his free arm. "I never thought it would've been so easy! And guess who I've got to thank~?"

" **Oh, I wonder who?"** Tael hummed, deciding to go along with the mood, giggling loudly with her brother when the human cradled them in his arms and swung them around in circles.

"Obviously, it's you guys!" The lad laughed, one that wasn't held back, it brought a smile to the fairies. He released them just in the nick of time to dodge a swing. "You guys sure like to fight, huh?"

*Shin!* *Krrh!*

And the process repeated over. He sighed, happily making his way towards his friends whom were waiting for him by a tree.

"Now, what say we find ourselves a different setting?" Adam suggested, earning himself playful titters by his fairy friends.

" **No need to say anymore! I'll lead the way!"** Tael proudly declared, before realising something and retreating into his hair. **"Or, should I say, I'll give you the directions, and you lead the way."**

"Aye aye!" The lad chirped, the white fairy's brother joining her in a minute. He casted one last glance at the dungeon, before making his way out, whistling as he sheathed his black sword on his waist. 'Good days, as it was before!'

* * *

Later

" **Ew. Just, ew,"** this, my good readers, is our dear white fairy Tael action in revolt at the words of her brother. **"You think horse is** _ **better**_ **than deer? Get real!"**

" **I never said that…"** Tatl sheepishly chuckled, looking over to where the lad was sitting at. **"I meant to say that** _ **both**_ **horse and deer taste good. Not that one tastes better than the other."**

" **Ohh, so that's what you meant,"** with his correcting her, she gave an understanding hum. **"Then what about rabbit?"**

"Ooh, I've never tried rabbit before!" The lad chirped from behind them, licking his lips together in anticipation. "I remembered that rabbit sate used to be popular in the real world, until people stopped buying it… Really though, it lasted only for, what? A month or something?"

" **Strange. Why is that?"** Ever the studious little fairy Tatl was.

"I mean, rabbits are considered house pets. So, the thought of eating your own pet sounded wrong to the people," Adam explained, ducking low below a tree trunk that was suspended in the air, supported by two other trees. "So all in all, they found that really disturbing, so they stopped in the end."

" **Makes sense. I mean, who would want to eat their own pet?"** Tael asked, turning around almost instantaneously with a cross hum. **"Don't even answer me! I really don't want to know…"**

"Okay, okay..! We won't say anything," the lad tried stifling a laugh, eliciting a sigh from the fairy. "W-Well, we're still here. Might as well try to find something while we're at it."

" **Agreed. Who knows? We might discover some treasure of sorts here!"** The thought was definitely tantalising, and Tatl soon found himself lost in his thoughts.

" **Nerd…"** And Tael was ever the same; moments where she had the chance to tease or call her brother that, she would never let go.

"Oh, come on, let him have some fun," Adam chuckled, crisscrossing his arms behind his head as he continued walking. He eyed the surroundings, smiling peacefully as he felt the soft whispers of the forest, spraying him like cool air. "It's strange, to be honest. Last I checked, it's been two years since 'Sword Art Online's started."

" **Really? Two years already?"** Tael asked back, just as shocked as the lad had stated. He smiled, continuing to enjoy the little peace they had.

"Indeed, it has been two years. It's all the more reason that people have probably given up on getting out," he grimaced, instantly catching his friends' attention. "I mean, just think about it. It's as if the people don't want to leave anymore. They consider this their new home, so they just… gave up."

Listening to his words, it actually made much sense. They had heart that the people participating in the front lines have dropped pretty low; either that they feared of death, or just didn't care anymore. And it brought down morale pretty badly. Now, all Adam could hope was that he was helping, and not making the situation any more complicated.

And that's when…

*Sssh…*

Perking up at the sound, he signalled for his fairies to return to him, to which they quickly obliged. Pulling out 'Elucidator', he positioned himself behind a tree, peeking over its edge to take a look at the scoundrel, only to find…

'Whoa..! That's a 'Ragout Rabbit'!' The lad, already knowing his plans, stored his 'Elucidator' away in its scabbard, patting it on its flat edge twice. 'Sorry, mate. Just ain't your time to shine.'

Rather, he pulled out a makeshift bow that was built from simple birch and strong web from a 'Thicket Spider'. He notched an arrow onto its position, aiming straight at the 'Ragout Rabbit' that was busying itself with eating grass. He grinned, pulled back the arrow, and let it flew.

*Twang!* *Fwoo!* *Tk!*.

'Bullseye,' the lad thought happily.

* * *

Floor 50—Algade

Algade, the same town that Adam swore was probably a replica of Chinatown. Nonetheless, he found the bustling noisiness of the town much more comforting than anything else at the moment. He walked around, greeting people at the stalls before buying something for his fairies and himself.

And arriving at the front of Agil's shop, he smiled.

"If anyone knows what to do with it, it's Agil," he smirked to himself, and entered the shop.

…

He regretted it.

He did as he wanted to; showed it to Agil and hoped to at least get some advices on what to do with the darn thing. Thing is, being an S-class item—which meant that it was super rare—he could see a glint of mischief and greed in his eyes, albeit only a bit, being that the most thing that showed there was surprise.

"Hey, Adam," said lad looked up to face the gigantic man from where he leaned at; the wall. "You're not planning to sell this, are you? I mean, you've already got yourself a bank account."

"Correction, I merely have a wallet," the lad jested, chuckling cheekily as the merchant groaned.

"Yeah, yeah… But cutting to the chase, don't you think that you'd wanna' try it?" At his question, the lad couldn't help but ponder on the thought.

"Well, sure. But I tend to do my cooking real-way. I want to see someone using this game's cooking system," he explained. "I built all those stoves and ovens, you know. They aren't as easy as 'tap-the-button', and the food will just get cut."

"Jeez, you sure like the hard way…" Agil sweat-dropped, his black-cladded friend shrugging. "But what's that got to do with you cooking it?"

"I guess I feel sort of… bored," he admitted, moving towards the counter to lay his jaw on his knuckles. "I mean, don't get me wrong, being able to cook is awesome. But sometimes, I want _someone else_ to cook for me."

"And why's that?" The man asked, confused all the same.

"Because then, I'll be introduced to something new!" The lad chirped back, combing his hair downwards with his fingers. "I might be able to have a new idea for a recipe or something! It's not like when you cook it yourself, because you'll know how it's going to taste like."

"Aaah… That makes a whole lot of sense," the merchant nodded in understanding. "So, who are you going to have cook for you then?"

"Well, there's way too many people that I know…" The lad nervously chuckled. "Other than the ones we've met already, there's always Strea, Philia… Yeah, that's all."

"Strea and Philia?" Two new names to the merchant, and he couldn't help but feel suspicious. "Who are they this time..?"

"A lavender-haired girl and a orange-haired girl," the lad proudly explained, eliciting a groan from his friend. "I met them on the first day. Although, it was pretty short, and after that we just split ways."

"And I get the feeling that you'll be meeting them soon enough," Agil joked, earning himself a questioning look from the lad. "In any case, who else do you think can cook for you?"

Adam opened up his mouth to respond, but before he could even ask what he meant—

*Pah.*

"Adam," a familiar lass called as she tapped her hand gently on his shoulder.

"Ha!" Acting purely on instinct, the lad swung back just as quick to pull out a… sandwich, until he realised it was Asuna, the same strawberry blonde from long ago. "A-Asuna..?"

"J-Jeez, what got you so uptight?" She asked, chuckling. He would've joined in, if not for the presence of the malicious-looking man standing right behind her.

"O-Oh, yeah. Like I said, anything can happen. Best prepare for the worst than regret it," he recited, inwardly cheering at the ability to remember all that. "In any case, what are you doing here? Plan to buy a new rapier from Agil?"

"If so, then I've got a new stock just today," the merchant informed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Not really. I came here for Adam," she informed, instantly turning down the merchant's spirit. "The next boss raid is just around the corner, so I came to check on you whether you were still alive or not."

"Dude… You already have me on your friend list…" The lad sweat-dropped, giving her a blank stare as she released a sigh.

"Well, at least now I know for sure," that he's alive. Just great. But instantly, something else caught the girl's attention. "Anyways, when I got here, I heard something about a chef. What's that about?"

"Indeed I did," the lad nodded in conformation. "You see, I just got this little meat I want made into something for me."

"And you can't cook it for yourself, why?" She asked. Asuna wasn't oblivious enough to know that all his skills had been maxed out, including his cooking. She was furious, seeing that she only maxed it out last week, when his was at its limit a year and a half ago!

"See, if I do it, I'll know everything there is about it, and it takes away the excitement, you know?" Adam pointed out, earning himself a nod from the girl. "Well, good to know that you get it as well. In any case, I'll give you the meat…"

Popping open an HUD screen, he flicked the scrollbar to reach to the 'Ragout Rabbit' meat, pleased to see the item still there. He tapped on it, proceeding to click on a command to deliver it to his target; Asuna. After a moment, he saw how she first read about it, before her eyes widened to the size of pans.

"I-Is this 'Ragout Rabbit'?!" She asked the obvious, but who's to say that she was wrong to do so?

"An S-class item, right in front of your eyes," the lad shrugged, as if it were so common for him. "In any case, I needed someone to make this into something for me. Chef or not, can you help me? _Please_?"

He remembered to use the word 'please', seeing that it always increased the odds of someone doing something for him. Plus, Tatl was the one to suggest it, so he'd be sure to thank the black fairy the next chance he gets.

But what he didn't expect, was how she suddenly tugged at his collar so that they were at an eye-to-eye level; hers were cold and calculating, and his was confused and frightened.

"I get to take half... Understood?" She dragged each syllable, eyes still narrowed into a stare that felt as if it was piercing his own soul.

"Anything you wish, milady…" The lad whimpered, almost feeling ready to fall out.

"Alright!" Asuna suddenly released him, smiling widely and giggling at her response. He sighed; he must have been played.

"Well Agil, that's my answer," Adam shrugged, smiling at Agil as he, Asuna and the other man left the shop.

"H-Hey, Adam! We're friends, aren't we?" The merchant asked, rather frantically in anyone's mind. "You know, maybe we could—"

"Agil, she's taking half. I won't have enough to share with you and everyone else!" The lad chuckled, waving goodbye to a gobsmacked merchant with a cheeky grin.

…

Walking down the street, Adam found himself drawn into the war, not noticing the pained cries or the tearful screams from the children around him.

His black coat did wonders in keeping away the heat, but he knew then that if he were to get too close, he'd sear himself.

He gritted his teeth, forcing him to keep moving forwards, even when the soldiers roared to their surroundings; orders and instructions and all that.

"…Adam!" Asuna suddenly screamed out.

"Wa—Haa!" The lad bounced backwards, nearly stumbling into a kid who was running around with his balloon.

"What were you dozing off about this time..?" She half-sighed half-groaned.

"Sorry, it's just…" Looking to the 'battlefield', the 'soldiers', he found himself unable to contain it—added with the 'pained cries' and 'tearful screams' from the children. "The place just smells too good!"

Indeed. The _stalls_ were the battlefield, as each _cook_ compete to sell their own good food to the people. The 'pained cries' were merely how the children wince in pain when their mouths made contact with the hot food, and the 'tearful screams' were—again—by the same children, as they rambled on and on about how great the food tasted like.

"Man, you sure can get lost in your head at times…" She chuckled, deciding to switch the topic to another one. "So, in any case, where do you want to cook?"

"Too lazy to go home…" The lad groaned. "Don't get me wrong, I could go back to Floor 1 and back if told to, but really… I'm just too excited about the food to care anymore!"

"Hmm… Okay, for _just_ this once, you can come to my house," the lass stated, instantly catching his attention. "Think of it as thanks for inviting me to your house that one time. And of course, in respect for the ingredients."

"Whoa, what?!" Being invited to a girl's house… It was just, too much! And before you say anything, it took five tries just to get him to even step foot in Lisbeth's room. The pinkette definitely knew from then, that he was just as variably terrified of others' territories without permission, which was admittedly pretty chivalrous of him.

"Well, that settles that," she nodded, before turning back to the man behind her. "Kuradeel, thank you for watching over us for the day. You are dismissed," Adam watched how the man—Kuradeel, sent him a distrusting glare, before he turned back to the lass.

"Asuna-sama, I mean no offence, but I cannot allow you to return home with such a suspicious person," Kuradeel spoke, leaving a crack at the lad's pride.

"S-Suspicious?! Me?! Well, before you start saying things, you've been following Asuna and I without mentioning who you were and whatnot! How does that make _me_ suspicious?!" The lad retorted. No doubt, there was something… off, about this Kuradeel.

"Kuradeel, I assure you, he's a good person," she informed, raising her hand to stop the lad from saying anything. "Though he may be strange at some points, he's a friendly person through and through. I trust him, so you can too."

"Forgive me, Asuna-sama, but there is no way that I can actually trust him," Kuradeel spat, the lad sighing at a thought.

'Is he jealous..?' No doubt that jealousy can blossom when seeing someone you like being so close to someone else. So, was that the story there? If so, he'd feel bad for Asuna for being with an ugly dude like Kuradeel.

She deserves better! Well, not exactly himself, but someone good! Just like how Sachi, Yolko, Silica, Lisbeth and Argo managed to fall in love with him—and their constant reminders that he was indeed a good person—she deserved someone who would love her properly!

But in the end, he chose to put all that topic aside. He felt awkward, just thinking about love without anyone to discuss it with.

"Kuradeel, I assure you, he's a very capable swordsman. In fact, I believe he's ten levels higher than you," she sighed, massaging her temples at her bodyguard's persistence.

"And I don't think he would do a good job at protecting you!" The bodyguard suddenly snapped, surprisign even Adam. "Asuna-sama, I assure you, I can do much better than him! Men like him only care about their own wellbeing, and no one else's!"

"Technically, I'm a teenager," the lad corrected, backing away when it looked as if Kuradeel was about to hit him.

"Please, reconsider. Getting involved with him further, and you're just inviting trouble!" He insisted, sending one deathly glare towards the lad, whom merely blinked back in awkwardness.

Just before the lad could intervene, he could hear the murmurs and chatting between the crowd that formed due to the commotion. Things about Asuna, who she was, how cute she was—that last thought brought a tick mark to his head. Cute? Cute?! If anything, she falls under the beautiful category! Silica though can be categorised as cute, so that was that.

…Hey, let him have his fun sometimes, alright?

"Kuradeel, you are dismissed," she began slowly, keeping a hard glare on her supposed bodyguard. "This is an order from your Vice-Commander."

And then, she turned away, leaving behind a baffled Kuradeel.

"Eesh, harsh…" The lad commented, before noticing himself getting dragged off by his hand, the lass not even bothering to turn around. "Whoa, cool down! Is this even alright?"

"It's fine!" She assured, still stubborn as she is as she continued to stride forwards.

But one last look at Kuradeel, and he knew enough; he had a new enemy. Better be careful then…

* * *

Evening—Floor 61—Selmburg

Ah, Selmburg… A beautiful town that was built around islands. The sea glistened as the Sun sent orange and red dancing across its edge, mirroring the already darkening sky. Adam had to admit; if he had a camera, he would've taken a picture of the scenery. It was so beautiful!

"Selmburg is really spacious, and there's not always a lot of people around," Asuna began, keeping her eyes fixed merely on what was in front of her. "If you like it very much, you could always move here."

"I would, but that would mean moving stuff. And I hate moving things…" Adam whined, knowing how painful it was to carry that one box down the stairs that one time. Thankfully, he managed to make sure that Yolko didn't help out, so that was much appreciated. "But seriously though, are you sure it's alright to leave behind Kuradeel?"

"…I never really wanted an escort," the strawberry blonde began, now staring down at the road she walked—figuratively. Not the 'destiny road' thing. "And yet, all leaders are required to have one… I mean, I can just protect myself just fine. Why would I need to trouble someone else?"

"You're right… Why trouble people when you can avoid that mistake?" He asked himself that question a lot of times, but much lesser after his confession. No doubt, he had always thought of himself troubling the others, but with them wanting to help him, how could he choose not to accept?

"Back before, 'Knights of Blood' was just a small guild where the leader personally invited people," she began explaining. "But then, even more people started joining, and when out guild became the strongest guild, things changed."

"Ho—" opening his mouth to ask something, he stopped himself in the nick of time, knowing that this was probably a heavy topic to talk about, so he chose to leave it there.

"But really, it's nothing serious, so don't you worry about it!" She twirled once, chirping at the lad before she twisted once more and began walking again. "Might want to hurry. It's getting darker by the minute."

"Yeah, no kidding…" The lad silently teased, but that was enough for him to earn himself a jab to his shoulder by the lass, the latter tittering as she skipped away. 'Lesson learnt… Don't ever tease her…'

* * *

Later—Asuna's Home

"Well, excuse me for entering," Adam spoke to no one in particular, taking off his boots as he slowly put a foot on the cold wood. And what he was presented with were comfy little interiors that displayed elegance. He whistled, a question coming into mind a moment later. "Wait a minute, how much did all of this cost?"

He knew from the very beginning that the cost would've been something mind-blowing, but he wasn't expecting—

"Well… Just a rough estimation mind you, but the house and the interior are probably around four million col total," she informed, Adam's jaw gaping into a wide hole a moment later.

"That much?!" He asked through all the shock and confusion; his house only costed eighty thousand total after all.

"Well, it doesn't really matter," she shrugged, making her way to her room. "In any case, go get yourself seated. I'll just be changing clothes."

"A-Ah…" The lad dumbly nodded, falling down instantly onto a green couch. "Four million col..? Jeez, you'd think that there was a limit to how much money one has in their game wallet…"

Apparently not.

And a moment later, his eyebrow cocked upwards at the sight before him; the same strawberry blonde adorned in a green dress with a white exterior, and a simple blue shorts that didn't even reach her knee.

"Hgh..!" He pulled himself away from the sight, instantly clenching his nose at the feeling of blood rushing up there. Don't worry, this has happened all the time, so he wasn't particularly new to all this.

"Are you planning to stay in that?" She broke the silence, gesturing to the coat and sword sheathed to his back—he found it much more comfortable that way, so he had done it ever since.

"Y-Yeah, let me take this off for a moment," he nervously chuckled, taking off the coat and neatly folding it and laying it atop the couch he sat on, followed suite with his 'Elucidator' and 'Night Repulser'.

They moved to the kitchen a moment later, with Asuna pulling out the meat and materialising it on the table. But as much as he found it crazy, the meat was way too big to be that of a rabbit's!

"Well, here it is. A legendary S-class meat," she smiled, looking at the exteriors before turning to the lad. "Say, how do you want it cooked?"

"Surprise me!" The lad requested, the lass pondering on something for a moment, before a snap of the fingers rung in the air.

"I know, we'll turn it into a stew," she informed.

He nodded in agreement, leaning on the wall as she began cooking. But he noticed how… dull the whole process was. All she needed to do was just tap the meat, of which it was instantly cut. He knew then, of why he made things back at home.

He wanted everything to be real.

Just as how he cooked breakfast for Klein sometimes, he had been doing it real-life way. He chopped, minced, sliced… Everything was tiring, sure, but it was his efforts! Making a stew would've been much more fun back at his home, but in the game world, everything was just too easy. Too simple, ultimately taking out the simple fun of life and making it boring-er.

'Oh well, as long as I get to eat it,' he mentally shrugged, watching as Asuna pop the pot into the stove, and began working on the garnish.

…

And the last thing he knew, was that he was looking at beautiful orange, with the meat sometimes making its presence known as it floated just to let itself be seen at the top. There were tomatoes and carrots, and the garnish was very lovely.

All in all, it gave him new ideas, and he found himself relatively full at the end of the meal.

"Man, you outdid yourself, Asuna…" The lad sighed in content, taking a sip from his cup of oolong tea—he had proposed to make it, right after everything else was done.

"Oh please. We both know that cooking in this world is too simple," she chuckled. "In all these two years in this game, I would've never expected myself tasting S-class meat. I'm so glad that I survived…"

"No kidding," he agreed, seeing that he also got to meet amazing people along the way.

"…You know, it's kind of strange," Asuna began in a soft tone, instantly catching the lad's attention as he set down the cup onto the table. "Being here, it felt as if I was here, ever since from day one."

"I don't know… But I can agree with you on that," he looked out to the window, seeing a little line of water snaking down from the top to the bottom. "I've been thinking less and less about the real world as of late. Plus, it ain't just me. You know it too right?"

The two shared a moment of silence, fully understanding what he meant. Just recently, the number of people who were trying to clear the game have reduced pretty drastically. It worried him much, when the total people fighting on the front lines weren't even five hundred.

"But still, we all want to go back, am I right?" Adam suddenly blurted out, a look of longing etched onto his face. "I want to know what it's like, to be back there," he spoke, knowing full well it wouldn't come.

"Yeah… Yeah, I agree. Plus, all of us have something to do back there," the lass nodded in agreement, taking another sip from her cup.

"Mmm… In any case," he stood back, pushing the chair behind him so he had some space. "I think I should get going. It was raining earlier, but I should be getting back. Thanks again, for the meal."

"I think that should be my line," Asuna too stood up, joining him as he made his way towards the door. "I mean, you were the one that found the meat. I just prepared it, is all."

"Still, it tasted awesome. So, thanks again," he nodded with a smile.

"Oh, and I have a request for you," she stopped him before he opened the door. She popped open her HUD screen, tapping on some things, before—

*Ding!*

The sound of a bell accompanied a screen that appeared in front of him, with Adam reading what it stated as his eyes slowly grew bigger.

"T-Team up?" He spoke, looking to her as if she was trying to prank him. "Hang on, I can't accept this!"

"Oh? And why not?" She asked back, knife she used to cut her meat in hand. "This is just for old times' sake. There could always be a time when you can't handle the situation all by yourself."

"Yeah, I get that…" He sighed. "But what about your guild?"

"Not busy with anything as of now," she answered, much too easily and not expected.

"Then Kuradeel?" He asked next. Sure, he didn't trust the guy, but he was still human.

"I'll ditch him," she answered. Again, taking the lad by surprise. "Look, it'll benefit us both. What say you?"

"I-I…" Knowing full well that if were to try anything, he'd surely have his head on his plate. With a defeated groan, he pressed the bright blue 'O', earning himself a giggle from the girl. 'This is just something, huh..?'

* * *

October 18th, 2024—Floor 74—Kamdet

Kamdet, a town that could be called a wastelands town. Far beyond the little bits of forestry here and there was only dirt, sand, and more dirt. It was much too barren to even think of farming, and much too hot for any regular person to live in. Speaking of hot…

"Why is this place so hot..!" The lad grumbled, looking up into the sky, only to wince in pain when his eyes made contact with the blazing Sun. "Damn it, even the Sun feels stronger than usual!"

Now, being the good person he is, he would've understood if it were for a couple of minutes. But now, it was already past an hour! Where was Asuna? Oh, getting ready he assumed. She had requested that they'd go exploring the area, but she just had to be late. Why not…

"Well, I did promise that I'd wait for her…" He reasoned with himself, not noticing the portal gate opening up behind him. "But she could've at least—Oh, speak of the… Devil!"

"Kyaa!"

"Aaah!"

*Thud!*

One minute, he was just standing peacefully, waiting for the same lass with whom he had just partnered with. And the next, she appeared from the portal gate, dropping onto him like dominoes.

"Damn it..!" He grunted, pushing himself off the ground with the girl above him. "You alright?"

"Y-Yeah…" She mumbled, face turning slightly strawberry—Hey, did you get that? Haha, it's ok if you didn't—as she hoisted herself off of him, pulling him up to his feet.

A moment later, he felt her suddenly ramming herself behind him, when he saw the portal gate opening up once more.

And who else to show up, other than Kuradeel?

"Hmm…" The bodyguard looked around, eyebrows cocking upwards when he found his leader. "Asuna-sama, I kindly request that you don't go running off on your own."

"Kindly, huh? More like scarily…" The lad muttered to himself, unable to stand the deadly stares he was receiving from him.

"Come, we must return to the guild headquarters," he beckoned, but Adam knew one thing; that the lass was just as stubborn as a mule.

"I refuse!" She voiced out—the lad expected that very much. "Besides, what were you doing, standing in front of my house so early in the morning?"

"W-Whoa, what?" Now that, the lad didn't expect. "Creepy…"

"Asuna-sama, please believe me when I say it is for good intentions," Kuradeel began, face ever stoic as it always was. "You see, I had predicted that something such as this would happen, so I had taken up on myself to monitor you at Selmburg since last month."

"Well, that's a good—Wait, no it isn't!" The lad blurted out, staring at the bodyguard with a baffled expression. "Dude, that's creepy as hell! Plus, did the commander even ask you to spy on her?"

"It is merely my duty to protect Asuna-sama," Kuradeel shook his head with much calmness. "As such, it would make sense that it extends to watching over your home.

"Okay, I would accept that, if you weren't such a crazy stalker in the first place," Adam shuddered, the picture of the lass's bodyguard watching her in her sleep. 'Crud, loose that thought! That's horrifying!'

"N-N-No it doesn't!" Asuna retorted, hairs standing on edge at his admitting of his actions. A sigh escaped her bodyguard's lips, as he began moving down the platform.

"Please, Asuna-sama, I ask that you stop being so tiring," he requested, now face-to-face with his leader. He outstretched his hand to take Asuna's. "Come, we shall get back to the headquarters."

And then—

*Smack!*

"..!" The lass stood there, transfixed in place as she watched a fist connect itself with her bodyguard's face, the latter wincing at the new sensation. Kuradeel stumbled backwards, crying in pain as the black-cladded lad retracted his arm.

"Sorry mate, but your leader here," Adam began, cracking his knuckles that grew sore from that one single strike. "Will be spending the day with me. Trust me, she will be in good hands. Also, I hit you because you were trying to force her to do something she didn't want to do. Not cool in my book."

"A-Absurd!" The bodyguard roared out, clenching the part of his face where he was hit at. "There is no way that an incompetent player like you could possibly keep her safe! I am a member of—"

"The 'Knights of Blood', I get it. Don't need to point out the obvious," the lad sighed, directing a furious glare in the bodyguard's way, inwardly cheering that the latter shuddered from the look. "But I can do much better than you, bro. Compare yourself to me, who's better?"

His words were much too simple, but the lad knew that it was effective, indicated by how the bodyguard was so close to fuming. His body shook, and his face contorted with disbelief and anger.

"Well then, if you think that you're that skilled, then why don't you prove it to me?" Kuradeel threatened as he pulled out his HUD, sending a challenge request to Adam.

"Alright-y, then. Rules, first strike to win," the lad began, leaning backwards to whisper to Asuna. "You alright with this..?"

"It's fine," she reassured him, keeping a hard look on her bodyguard. "I'll make sure that the commander hears about this."

"Well, if you say so…" He mumbled, accepting the request and watching as Kuradeel pull out a great black blade.

"Watch, Asuna-sama! I will prove to you that I am the better protector than this boy is!" The bodyguard mocked, earning himself a blank look from the lad.

"Dude, I told you already. I'm a teenager," he sighed, pulling out 'Night Repulser'. He positioned himself into a stance, ready to end it all.

The people were crowding, excited and already anticipating for the lad's victory. The lad in question was pretty thankful, as it managed to dampen the bodyguard's spirits. Even so, he couldn't lose now; any mistake and everything would have all been for naught.

*Ting!*

Countdown was out!

"Hrgh!"

"Hmph."

Both ready with their own swords, they rushed each other, blades powered up and shiny valiantly as they prepared to strike each other.

With Kuradeel cackling an evil and triumphant laugh, fully expecting himself to seize victory, and Adam picking his nose with his free hand, oblivious to the supposed heat of the battle, they clashed their blades—

*Chng!*

And when the little gathering of smoke and dust cleared, it was very clear, that it was Adam who won.

"W-What the…" For in the other's hands, lay only the hilt, blade dug in the ground, before both pieces—

*Ch!*

Broke into pixels.

"Damn, he broke his weapon!" One of the players commented, the other spectators nodding in unison.

"And that, ladies and gentlemen!" Everyone turned to the source of the voice, apparent that it was Adam who was speaking now. "Is the end of the battle! Now you can leave! Thank you, and good bye… Now go, shoo!"

With the battle now a done deal, the lad went over to give a tap on the bodyguard's shoulder, making sure to keep a good distance in case the latter wanted to punch him.

"Don't take this personally," he whispered, loud enough so that only he was able to hear, before heightening his volume. "In any case, you can try with a new weapon anytime, but seriously… I don't think your commander would be fine paying for so many broken tools…"

And then, he felt it. Jumping away, he watched as Kuradeel suddenly pull out a dagger from his inventory, running after with a face of a murderer. Adam prepared his sword—

*Chng!*

But it wasn't his that tossed the bodyguard's dagger away. Rather, it was Asuna's.

"A-Asuna-sama! How could you?!" It was more of a shout than a question. "This liar… Breaking my sword must have been a ruse! How else would a dirty player even break my weapon?!"

"Obviously, it has something called _durability_ ," the lad jested, shuddering and instantly running behind Asuna for cover when it looked like Kuradeel was planning to smack him or something.

"Kuradeel," Asuna began with a voice that held much authority. So much so, that it felt as if this was a whole new person. "From here on out, you are relieved of your escort duties. This is my order to you as the Vice-Commander. You are to standby at headquarters until you receive further orders. That is all."

"W-What…" All lost in his breath, all he could do was face the person that did this to him, face scrunched up into a face that held so much hatred. "You..!"

"Yes, it is me, Adam!" The lad nodded, much too cheekily for anyone's good.

The bo— _ex_ -bodyguard sighed, finally leaving as he warped away to Grandum. Finally gone, the lass fell backwards, stumbling into the lad's arms as he tried to stabilise her.

"Thanks…" She muttered, moving away to stand properly. "Sorry for pulling you into all of this…"

"Well, what can I say? I like to help," the lad shrugged, but adopted a face of concern a moment later. "But the more important question here is are you alright?"

"I'm fine… I'm fine," she reassured him, looking to the spot where her ex-bodyguard once stood. "I think… Why the guild is so heavy and such, is because I keep prioritising the game's completion, and as such puts too much pressure on the other members."

"Well, you can think that you're doing things wrong, but I'd say otherwise," the lad shrugged, looking off into the distance as he whistled. "Think about it. If you weren't there, the clearing group would probably get stuck at floor fifteen or something," at his words, she instantly shifted her attention to him, eyes wide with surprise. "Though, I guess me, a solo player shouldn't be saying that, though."

The way his words sounded… It didn't seem fitting, seeing that he was with the 'Moonlit Black Cats'. If anything, he would be an experienced person by now.

"So, I uhh… If you're absolutely sure that you'd want to take a break by partying with a lazy person such as me, then who's got the rights to stop you?" He asked, squinting his eyes to make out the blurry lines of a brit off in the stretch of sky. "You control… your own… destiny, after all."

"Huh… Well, it seems that I should be thanking you then," she hummed, putting away her rapier in its sheathe. "So, for today, I'll take your word and take it easy."

"Yeah, you better…" He groaned, a cocky smile present on his features a moment later. "Get ready to have me as the 'Forward', cause' I'm feeling a little itched up for battle!"

"As you say," she giggled, and the two walked away.

* * *

 _They were never truly the one and the same; one was a stoic and brave young lady who sought the freedom of the players, while the other was a cheerful and outgoing lad who wanted nothing more than to spend his peaceful life in the world of silence and battle._

 _Through the years, they grew to trust each other, soon enough coming to understand one another. But what happened next was anyone's guess._

 _Did he leave her in hopes to find a place to settle down, finding comfort in what remained of the world? Or did she leave to rejoin the war, aiding those that needed her assistance and freeing humanity? No one knows._

 _Until now._


	13. Chapter 12

"Don't let me down!"- Speech

'You look familiar…'- Thoughts

 _"The war was over."_ \- Flashback / Emphasis

*Whoosh!* *Tzzz!*- Sound effects

 **"This isn't good!"** \- Tatl / Tael Speech

 **'How in the world?'** \- Tatl / Tael Thoughts

* * *

'`Chapter 12: White and Black Love'`

 _The First AI loved the colour black. Ever since he was introduced to clothing of said colour, he realised just how much they were meant for each other._

 _So of course, it proved to be much difficulty when he was adorned with the opposite colour._

 _But, in the end, he found himself loving it, for it brought him closer to one of the girls that he loved with all his heart._

 _And then, they finally loved each other._

* * *

*Chng!*

Trading a blow with a 'Lizardman Lord', Adam ducked low to avoid a lethal hit, before giving one large swipe at the beast—

*Krrh!*

Effectively killing it in one blow.

"Wow, this is _so_ spectacular!" The lad sarcastically remarked, having to backpedal once, before rushing in with a thrust to the beast's scaly flesh that ended his life, as he watched it materialise into pixels and breaking away into a spectrum of colours.

"You're really good at this sort of thing," Asuna commented, smiling sweetly in response to the lad's blank stare.

"You're lucky I _asked_ you to take it easy today," Adam sighed, feeling a slight pain in his back. He gave himself a few pats on the book to soothe the pain, groaning when it never left. "Damn it… I'm starting to feel as if I'm catching up with the years."

"You're nineteen, just like me," she reminded him, delicately placing her hands on her hips. "Maybe it's because you haven't done any workout. I may not do the heavy ones, but at least I try to stay fit."

"I _do_ do workouts!" The lad retorted, before mumbling silently to himself. "Sometimes…"

"Hmm? What was that?" She teased, earning herself a click of the tongue from the lad.

"It was nothing!" He huffed, searching his mind to add more to his rebuttal, until his mind was taken off the current subject as he looked to the ground, eye turning shades of blue with gears rotating at the front. And a moment later, he saw something that caught his interest.

"What is it?" Her soft voice broke the air, hinted with curiosity, as she was completely unaware of what was happening to him.

"There's fresh footprints down here," he informed, crouching slowly and whisking his hand across the surface. "No doubt, we weren't the first ones to be here."

"Really? Who was it then?" She asked, completely surprised. She was sure that only she and Adam were the ones here in this dungeon.

Apparently not. One thing for sure, Adam was an excellent tracker—second only to Tael—and he has proven his capability in said skill multiple of times. And now, with him saying that there were others here, she was on full awareness.

Who knows? Seeing that he couldn't identity who the people were by just the footprints, they could be almost anybody; mercenaries, any other guild, player killers… The list could go on and on, and they wouldn't be able to pinpoint their identities even so.

As such, throughout the journey, both had their weapons in hand, just in case things were to go south.

"Look…" And of course, pushing aside the matter of the people, there was also the matter that this was a _dungeon_ , so it made much sense that they arrived at the boss's room door.

"It's the boss room…" She whispered, the lad beside her nodding grimly in response. "Well, what do we do now?"

"What? What _do_ we do now?" He parroted the strawberry blonde, grinning nervously when his friend game him an unamused stare. "Okay, okay! Sorry! Look, this may sound completely crazy, but I wouldn't mind if we could go check out the guy first. Who knows? Could be an easy-peasy, lemon greasy."

"Bosses are _never_ easy," Asuna sighed, a brave front being put on for display a moment later. "But I can understand what you mean. From your standpoint, this is a golden chance, and it would be very wise to plan our attacks before we go in blindly."

"Exactly!" A smile popped up on the lad's features as his head jolted downwards and back up, taking out a teleport crystal and holding it in his free hand. "And give yourself a teleport crystal now, would you? This would be in case we get into trouble."

"If you say so," she complied, pulling out her own teleport crystal and gripping onto it tightly, as if it were her last line of life, and that if she were to let go, it would spell out her end.

"Alright," he exhaled, putting his balled fist that held the crystal onto the door, with Asuna following his action. "Let's see what sort of boss we'll be dealing with."

"Mmhm," she hummed in agreement, eyes narrowed onto the door. The littlest movement, and signs of the door trying to open, and they'd be screwed.

The two approached the door, placing their knuckles of the hands that held onto the teleporting crystals flat against the massive doors.

And then…

* * *

Somewhere Else

She stumbled, her toe bleeding slowly as the skin scraped against a little pebble, dyeing her otherwise pale skin red. The pain stung for a while, but she managed to bare it, until the pain grew bored and completely left the fresh wound—marred skin.

She continued moving, uncaring for the fact that there could be other monsters in the vicinity. The last thing that ever planted its position as what to be wary of was the monsters, considering the fact that she was capable enough to handle them. She may not be a great swords-girl, but she believed she was capable enough to dispatch those that approached her.

She tripped, falling face-first into the mud below, now dirtying her elegant white gown and face. Still down on the wed, soggy ground, she frowned at the feeling of the disgusting mixture on her clothes; this was the only outfit she had on her. Now she'd have to find a way to get this all cleaned up, if she even knew how to in the first place. And she was lucky enough that this was just getting dirtied; she definitely wouldn't know where to find a new set of clothes if her current gown was torn, considering that she had no money.

She got up, sweeping away any clumped dirt on her knees and clothes to the best she can. No doubt, she would need to find a large collection of water later on, for she would need to wash herself and her outfit, as well as quench her thirst.

She began walking once more, determined to find the people she was desperately looking for. Never had she thought she would go against her creator's wishes, but she knew now, she didn't care anymore. She needed to find them.

"No matter what," she whispered to herself, and the trekking through the forest resumed. It rained, yes, but that never extinguished her determination that burnt like the brightest star.

* * *

Meanwhile

*Creak!* *Thud!*

The gigantic doors opened, revealing nothing more than a pitch-black area. Adam and Asuna carefully moved forwards, keeping their swords on their dominant hand and their teleporting crystals on the other.

The lad activated his ability once more, scanning the area for anything. And there, right there in the centre, was a—

*Phrrh!*

Just before he could fully identify the boss, the unlit torches in the room suddenly sparked to life, emitting embers of blue that lit up the room.

And there, in the centre, was the floor boss; a muscular beast-like being that rose from its throne, skin a shade of blue darker than the sky, and its eyes were red. But looking to the head, Adam realised that it was that of a goat's with an elongated snout and thick, twisted horns protruding from the sides of the head in a twisted manner.

And the mighty blade he stabbed the ground with, which it immediately pulled out a moment later, was a valiant grey.

*Grhhaa!*

And it's eyes shone blue, brightly lit as he raised his sword to strike.

"WHoaAHA!"  
"HYAehH!"

And the duo ran, as fast as their legs could carry them, towards the exit.

* * *

"We made it..!" Adam wheezed, trying to catch his breath as he placed a hand on his chest, which was rising and lowering at a rapid pace. The running definitely seemed to have ran him rugged, and because of that, he knew that if he had to run again, he'd no doubt have fallen prey to any other enemies.

"Y-Yeah… We did…" Asuna panted in agreement, seemingly having an easier time at controlling her breathing. The lad raised his eyebrow at her, but decided not to ask.

…What was her secret of having so much energy? They ran the same distance, but she looked not to be physically drained as he was. There was some sort of secret to all this, and he desperately wanted in.

"Well, it's official… That boss is sure to give us a run for our money," a trickle of sweat snaked down the lad's forehead, remembering the look of the boss. No doubt, it would prove to be a worthy challenge.

"You're not wrong about that…" Unable to form anymore words, she merely nodded her head, before resting her head backwards against the wall of black marble.

"Dear God, that weapon he wielded… I don't know about you, but I'm betting good coin that he's got special skills up on his sleeve," the thought of that frightened the lad even more than he expected. And that meant _dodging_ and _running away_. Surely, if he wasn't going to die from this beast, then the exhaustion from constantly running away definitely will.

"Then our best bet… is to get strong vanguards and always switch," she suggested, earning herself a click of the tongue. "What?"

"Sorry, just seeing if my tongue still works the same way," he reassured her, earning himself a disappointed sigh as he returned it with a nervous chuckle. "But if we _were_ to use vanguards, maybe ten shield wielders would prove more than enough."

"Shield wielders, huh..?" She repeated, eyes suddenly beginning to narrow into a leer at her companion, the latter beginning to fidget under the tension.

"Okay, stop that!" He shook his hand, unknowing what was her problem. "Seriously, stop doing that! If you've got something to say, then just say it!"

"…You're hiding something, aren't you?" She accused him, the latter shuddering immediately.

"What gave you that idea?!" He suddenly burst, reaction threatening to unveil the truth he's probably trying to keep closed.

"It's just, using a one-handed sword means you can use a shield as well, doesn't it?" At her inquiry, the lad merely nodded his head in response.

"Yeah, that's something that happens all the time in all RPG's," he agreed, tilting his head in confusion. "So what's so strange now?"

"You've _never_ used a shield, not even once," she pointed out, instantly sending him into a sweating fit.

"Maybe you never _saw_ me wield one," he suggested, a forced smile that was showing too much fear than taken for granted.

"You're just making an excuse," she countered just as quick, instantly sending a jolt of fear down his spine, which added fuel to his rising trepidation. "I don't use a shield because it'd decrease the speed of my rapier."

"And some don't do that because it looks weird," he added, the lass humming in agreement.

"Indeed. But _you_ ," she drawled, increasing more pressure on his little shoulders. "You don't even use them."

"L-Like I said, maybe you just never saw me! I could have used a shield for all I know, and maybe during the times you weren't around!" He offered, knowing a hundred percent that she'd find out soon enough, but if he could delay it for now? Why let go of the chance? Yes, they'd know, but let's just keep it a secret for now!

"It would be the case, but I know for a fact, that you've never used Lis's sword even once," she pointed out, and that was the final straw—

"Hrgh!" Before the lad started going mad in the head.

"Well, anything to say..?" He whimpered under her heavy tone, feeling as if those amber eyes could penetrate his very soul.

"I-I…" Argh, he needed an excuse! Anything to get him out of this pickle! 'Wait a minute… _pickle_!'

"I'm hungry!" He blurted out, catching the lass by surprise as he delivered a shaky grin. "I… can't think right, because I'm hungry."

Looking at him, she finally gave up, knowing for sure that if he meant something, that's all there is to it.

Truly, there was something that he was hiding, no doubt. The lack of confidence that he usually wore with him, as well as the sudden franticness only seemed to indicate it. But even then, stubbornness was a quality he had long excelled in, and he was definitely keeping a stoned head. If so, then there was no way she could break through him.

"Fine… I guess we can take a break," she hummed, the lad mentally celebrating his victory. She pulled out a basket from her inventory, the item materialising into her lap once she tapped on it's icon. "God, if I knew you were this easy to control with just food, I would've used this method a long time ago."

"Ooh, I'd like one!" He chirped, ignoring her blatant comment as he watched a scrumptious-looking sandwich arriving into his hands that was tantalising than anything else he's tasted. Gulping once, he slowly moved the food item closer to his jaws, opening them, and biting down—

"Hgh..!" The taste of crunchy lettuce, wet tomatoes and fresh cheese mixed into his taste buds, accompanied with a new taste that set his sense of taste on fire! "This is so good! But… What is this weird, slightly salty taste..?"

"Well, if you must know," she began, proudly grinning as she prepared her explanation. "This is the result of my hundreds of experimentation and testing, as well as synching with the game's taste systems."

"Wow, sounds pretty smart," he quipped, biting even more on his sandwich. Each reaction he had every time he bit on the sandwich seemed to send some form of heat to her skin, but she ignored it otherwise.

"Here," she withdrew a bottle of something green from the basket. "Hold out your hands."

He complied, watching as she poured green sauce onto his hands. Taking it all into his mouth, his eyes went wide in surprise.

"W-Whoa, this sauce is somewhat sour… What _is_ this?" He marvelled, smacking his lips together to get the last hints of the sauce off of them.

"It's mayonnaise!" She beamed, the lad gawking at her words a moment later. "And try this one."

The process repeated once more, albeit with a purple sauce. Putting it into his mouth, his tastebuds were met with a delicious salty taste.

"Don't tell me…" He muttered, looking at where the sauce once stood with eyes the size of pans.

"Mmhm! That was soy sauce," she smiled. "I made the mayonnaise with 'Grogwa Seed', 'Shubul Leaf' and 'Carim Water'. And then, I made the soy sauce using 'Abilpa Bean', 'Sag Leaf' and 'Oorafish Bones'."

"D-Damn. I didn't know messing around with the crafting system of the game could yield such a delicious result," he licked his lips, looking at the basket with much disbelief, which was broken by the sound of the lass's titters.

"You think so?" She asked, tone of voice surprisingly displaying uncertainty.

"No doubt!" The lad nodded his head rather enthusiastically, like some little child. "It's perfect! Like, I never knew this could actually work!"

"What, you tried doing this once?" She asked, interest piqued.

"Yeah, but I was still inexperienced with the thing, so I had rice with roasted dirt for lunch," he sighed in disappointment, noticing the shocked look she was giving him, but choosing to ignore it otherwise. "But man, if you actually put this up on a shop's shelf, you'd be a millionaire in a blink of the eye!"

"You think so?" She averted her gaze towards the basket, slightly sounding rather happy at that compliment, until she heard a gasp escaping his lips.

"Actually… No, forget that idea! Don't even think of selling this!" He snapped with a louder tone than before, the lass sweat-dropping at his sudden change-of-mind.

"And why's that?" She dared to ask. No doubt, if he decided against something he himself decided at first, no doubt it was an important reason. Would it cause problems? Quick depletion of materials? A civil war for the—

"Because if you'd do that, then there won't be anymore for me," he replied with a straight front, instantly cutting down all her previous thoughts.

She sighed in the end, knowing full well that Adam could be so childish at some times. He was indeed a skilled person, but only in the practical sort of things. When it came to the way he _thinks_ , no doubt it would be a puzzle piece all on its own.

"Jeez, always thinking with your stomach, aren't you..?" She pouted, slight hint of embarrassment there.

"Of course! Without food, you'd die! We eat to live, after all!" He chirped back, showing off all his pearly whites without any hint of embarrassment. "And besides, I'm basically the first ever person, second to you of course, to have ever tasted such beauty! I'm copyrighting this!"

"Hey, if anyone's copyrighting this, that should be me!" She giggled, realising just how silly the whole situation just turned out to be.

This… was surprisingly nice. not only did she didn't need to deal with any pressure from things like her guild. Rather, she was able to let loose, and somehow indulge herself in normal conversations. And to think this was all possible, because of the very same black-cladded lad that sat beside her, enjoying the bursts of tastes that erupted onto his tongue every time he ate the sandwich she made.

They enjoyed the little moment of tranquility they had left, peacefully finishing their food, when all of a sudden—

*Prooh!* *Tk. Tk. Tk.*

At the sound of something going through some sort of force field, accompanied with the clacking of feet walking in, both swordsman and rapier wielder rose into a stance, hand clenching their weapons, until—

"What the..?" The figure before him seemed familiar. Isn't this…

"Man, that was tiring as heck!" The figure groaned, his party lagging behind him and just as exhausted as he was, before he looked up and a smile crossed his face in an instance. "Hey, Adam!"

"Klein!" The lad's lips turned into a broad arc, waving rather enthusiastically as the samurai finally reached them. "Dude, it's been long since we've seen each other! You doing good?"

"Better than I hope, at least. The trek here was tiring though…" Klein sighed, looking to Asuna for a brief second, before he returned his gaze—that turned into a display of shock—towards Adam. "Wait, you're travelling with her now?!"

"W-Whoa now! This isn't what you think it is! Well, technically we _are_ travelling together, but it's just for an occasion!" The lad frantically answered, the samurai just giving him a suspicious look.

" _What_ occasion, hmm?" The samurai asked back, leering towards the lad in a way that sent shivers down the latter's spine.

"It's just… for, uh… For fun! Yes, indeed!" The lad offered, and Klein was all up for retorting any further—

*Tk! Tk! Tk! Tk!*

Had not the sounds of iron meeting ground and clacking against each joints of the armour they held onto rang heavily in the room. Klein, his guild, Adam and Asuna turned to the sound, surprised to see the members of the army marching in and towards them.

"What the… What is the regnant guild from floor one doing here?" Klein asked, his guild giving off the same looks of confusion just like their leader.

"Apparently, they suffered a major lost while clearing the twenty-fifth floor," Asuna informed, the black-cladded lad jotting down mental notes based on her words. "Ever since then, they set their focus on strengthening their group rather than clearing the game, so they stopped coming to the front lines."

"If so, then what the heck are they doing here of all places?" Adam asked, feeling slightly suspicious. They weren't supposed to be doing the clearing, right? And the question came once again; _why_ are they here? This floor was currently their obstacle, the current floor that still sits locked. So, if they are here, does this mean they're planning to help out in the clearing?

"At ease!" The leader of the army roared out, and instantly, everyone went limp and fell to the ground as they sat, panting from tire as they tried to gain some rest.

'Yeesh, I definitely wouldn't want to be on his army for sure,' he looked to the soldiers, and noticed just how exhausted they were. He knew he wasn't much of a fit person to begin with—an obvious lie—but judging just how much they were breathing in and out, no doubt that they must have went through some form of hell.

But again, why are they here?

Yes, they suffered a terrible defeat back in floor twenty-five, so are they here just to redeem their names once more? If so, it could either calls for respect, or be treated as idiocy.

Respect that they'd wish to honour the names of a knighthood, and not to sully it, as they hold the position with their heads held high. They were the very symbol of chivalry, and it made sense that they'd want to gain back the respect and trust of the masses.

Idiotic that they'd wish to waste their time with such lunacy. True, it was honourable, but it also meant their destruction if they were to fail here and now. There were many good men among the army, and losing their lives in something pointless as this—he'd wish so, but apparently it's the other way around—seemed to be a waste.

"So, who're you supposed to be?" Adam finally asked after a while, standing as straight as he could in the presence of this towering man, built with such a bulky body.

"I am Lieutenant Colonel Corvats of the Aincrad Liberation Army," the man introduced himself, top part of his face masked by the iron helmet he wore. "Now, it would be a shame if I told you my name, yet you keep yours untold."

"I'm getting there," the lad blew a raspberry, an absence of a smile there. "Adam, a solo player."

"Have you all cleared the room beyond here as well?" Corvats asked, sparing a glance on each head, as if he were making some sort of assessment as of the moment.

"Mmhm, though there are some parts that we haven't reached yet," the lad lied, folding both arms behind his head as he listened to the sounds present in the room. There was no such volume that exceeded ever more than the wind's whistles, but the loud pantings of the soldiers were enough to put his eardrums to work.

"Really? I thought you were done with the whole floor by now," Klein asked, visibly surprised. Being with Adam for so long had thought all there was to know; the lad was extremely skilled in a lot of things, and was always able to do anything.

He's been there to save his back, been there to love the girls, been there to _hurt himself_ … All just to keep them out of harm's way. Truly, had there been no support for the boy, he would've cracked under the pressure, so the samurai and everyone else had promised to each other to watch over him. He knew enough that Adam was capable of just about everything, and right now, hearing his friend admitting to be unable to complete a task sounded out-of-the-world.

"Sadly no… I mean," he paused, covering his right eye and feigning a pained hiss, instantly worrying his friends.

"Adam? You alright?" Klein was first to move, all reflex and instinct activated as he went to his friend, the latter forcing up a smile—too obvious, much to Adam's thanks; he needed it to be that way.

"I-It's fine… I just, got some dust stuck or something…" He reassured his friend, brushing off his worries before rubbing away at said eye, looking back to the lieutenant with a bored look. "You know, asking us whether we cleared the floor or not is a pretty big leap from nowhere. What'd you need?"

"I was hoping for a map of the floor. If you had cleared the whole floor, it would've been very beneficial that you handed us one. Unfortunately enough, it seems you're not finished," Corvats grunted. And thankfully, it was just as Adam had hoped for.

See, as told before, Adam possesses a gift, an ability to see the future. As such, he was presented with a visage of a horrifying tragedy just waiting to occur…

And if he had the power to change it, why do nothing?

"Well, once we do get the map, we… Hang on, do you plan to wait for us until then?" The lad asked, putting on a curious look that managed to fool the bulky man.

"Of course not. We will be travelling on our way, but just in case," Corvats outstretched his hand, palm open for display—a gesture that he wanted something. "I'd like you to provide us with the map data."

"Dude, you don't have your own?" Now this, this was pure surprise for the lad. "You came in unprepared? You should know by now, that going in blind is just asking to be killed."

"I have no time for this… I demang that you provide us with the map data, now," though calm as his exteriors may be, the lashing impatience behind his tone was just begging for trouble, near to opening the door for rage to take in.

And knowing that he'd have to move to the next phase of the plan, Adam sighed, pulling out his HUD and tapping on some more icons. A moment later, the bulky man received a notification, a map attached to it.

"Thank you for your cooperation," he spoke, tapping on the 'Accept' button that was shaped in a tick mark in a blue circle, before making his way back to his squad.

"But you know, I highly advice against taking on the boss," he whistled.

"I will be the one to decide whether to adhere to your advice or not," the lieutenant answered without haste, sending the lad into a coughing fit out of shock.

"W-What do you mean you'll _decide_?! I said 'Don't go', so just take my word for it!" His outburst was in a total mess, words in a form of messy sputter as he tried to get a grip on the bulky man's words. "Plus, look at your army! They don't look good as they already are, so why the heck do you even want to push them any further!"

"Sir Corvats, you can't possibly think that you'll get far with an army that's exhausted!" Asuna added, too focused on changing the man's mind that her peripherals never gave her a view of the lad's wide smile. "They need to get themselves rested up before they plan to go into battle!"

"Nonsense!" That one outburst managed to send the strawberry blonde and raven haired swordsman into a silent flinch, the man himself seemingly pissed and not in the mood for anymore conversation. "My men are chosen by the sword! They are not so weak that they'd fall down just as quick as danger is to come to them!"

"So… You're still calling them weak..?" The lad sweat-dropped, knowing full well that some people just don't know how to properly speak nowadays. Like, what the heck does 'FML' or 'TL:DR' even mean..?

Truly, the world was going too modern for anyone's good.

"On your feet, men!" The lad snapped out of his little moment of thoughts, gawking at the man who forced his soldiers off from their rest. But standing there, he realised just how much difference there was between him and Corvats.

Adam was a solo player, so he's never had the joy or experience in leading a group. Indeed, he had joined the 'Moonlit Black Cats', but merely as a sort of member. If he wasn't in the alliance to any groups, he would've fought alone and the like. The only thing he had to worry about was his own life, so that was it.

And Tatl's and Tael's, obviously. But they did ask him to keep their identities secret from everyone else, so that was that.

But Corvats… The man was a leader. The lad amy have never lead or joined the army, but he knew enough that being in one was difficult. One had to be extremely disciplined in order to survive in the army. And him being the leader, no doubt he had to be extremely experienced and skilled in order to command the respect of…

Wait, is this even an _army_? Counting down on the number of heads—seeing that they had already gotten a good distance away from them—Adam was shocked that Corvats was leading a 10-men group! And against a floor boss, this was suicide!

"Ooh… I have a bad feeling about this," though that may have been considered a witty remark than anything else, each word held a string of trepidation, only added when everyone gave the same looks of fear.

"But I doubt that they would actually go straight to the boss room," Asuna piped in, until she noticed the look of fear that painted her friend's expressions. "What is it?"

"My gut's telling me that things are so going south," his words were nothing more than a hunched whisper, but enough that it got through the silence.

"Then what say we go watch over them," the samurai was the next to speak up, eliciting a surprised look from the black swordsman.

"That's a good idea. Yeah, let's do that!" The lad himself nodded brightly, beginning to jog forwards, with the rest of Klein's group following after.

Klein chuckled; he was still trying to keep himself to himself, it seems. No doubt, after what Adam's confessed before, he still has some other problems pushing down on his shoulders. The lad is a good friend, and even more skilled than him, but he was still young. And Klein knew, that the lad needed someone to protect him, rather than just him protecting everyone else.

And the idea clicked in, when he saw Asuna making small movement forwards.

"W-Wait!" He blurted out, causing the strawberry blonde to stop in her tracks. "Listen, umm… Asuna-san. You see, uh…"

How could he make this sound as deceiving as it could be, without sounding like some sort of made-up lie? He needed the right words, and it was much thanks that Adam had taken up some time to teach him a little bit more on grammar and vocabulary.

"See, the kid's sorta' awkward, at some points," he began, scratching the back of his head as he scoured his mind for the words he needed. "He can be pretty bad with words, which is pretty rare, and he apparently loves to fight. So, he's always going to be in danger. So… I hope that you look after the lad."

"Ha-choo!" A sneeze vibrated through the area, the source being Adam himself. 'Someone's talking about me… Who is it?'

Looking at him, he seemed rather fine. But she knew what he meant; Adam really liked to take the problems head-on most of the times, not choosing to rely on others. It touched her that he always wanted them safe, but if it meant that he'd get injured in the process…

"Yeah," she nodded, smiling sweetly as she looked back to the samurai. "He's in good hands, Klein-san! I'll take good care of him."

* * *

Later

'This has _got_ to be a joke…' Though most would interpret the usually cheeky black swordsman's words as nothing more than a tired sigh, this was a mental grimace.

And the sight before him had taken away all sense of okay-ness.

Because right now, the floor boss 'The Gleaming Eyes' was pulverising the army they had just encountered a few minutes ago.

*Bang!*

"Gah!" The men shrilled in pain as they felt the sword break their ranks apart, sending each and every one of them flying off in separate directions, the ticket of death slowly coming to their hands.

"Oh, son of a woman!" Hey, don't blame Adam. He just doesn't like to curse, alright? "Darn it, we need to do something!"

"And what do we do?" Klein asked, katana already out of its sheathe and now gripped in its master's right hand.

"I _may_ have a really stupid idea, that could also be listed under foolish and reckless, but it's our best chance yet," the lad huffed, knowing full well that he just has to pull it off. "Get the men out of the way! I'll keep it's attention on me!"

"No!" An immediate shout of denial from the rapier wielder was enough to send the black swordsman to flinch. "You'll get killed!"

"Aha! But I have not died yet!" The lad jested, trying to keep their spirits up, before finally rushing towards the boss, keeping his ears deaf to their cries. "Get the army out of here!"

And that was the last thing, before he finally—

*Cngh!*

He gave one large cut at the back of the boss, instantly catching its attention—and gulping as he watched it raise its heavy blade above its head.

*Clang!*

"Fudge!" The lad cried out as he brought up his sword to parry the boss's, pushing away the shaped metal before he rushed in, delivering a few more strokes across it's body.

*Clang!* *Czzz!*

The lad brought up his sword to parry, but could only withstand the pressure as his enemy's blade slit across his blade with the flat edge.

"Guys, are you done?!" The lad yelled, ducking into a low crouch and rolling away to avoid another sword swing from his enemy, letting loose two strikes on his foe's leg before running away. "Cause' I swear, if I don't die from this thing, it'll probably be from fatigue!"

"Just one more!" Asuna shouted, giving a hesitant Corvats support by lending him her shoulder.

'Good work,' he grinned, smile instantly fading away into a gape that let loose a loud yelp when the beast smacked him across his gut.

*Thud!*

He skidded across the room's floor, finally stopping due to loss of acceleration and friction working. He got up, pushing all pain away, as he directed his blade at the boss again.

"Man, you sure like playing the odds, huh?!" He laughed, one that was filled with dread and fear.

But not for his own life, no. Screw it if he had to die; he was worried for everyone else's lives instead. And he knew, if he wanted even a remote chance of winning against this boss, he'd have to…

"Argh, screw it!" He relented, pushing back the boss with every ounce of strength he had. "I don't have time for this! Asuna, Klein, do me a favour and keep the boss's attention off of me!"

"Right!"  
"Understood!"

Both samurai and rapier wielder rushed into the fray, delivering parries and thrusts at the beast, dodging each attack before continuing.

"Crud, I can't believe I have to give this away…" A sigh escaped Adam's lips as he moved through the skills area, scrolling upwards until he reached a certain box, tapping on it with a satisfied grin. "Okay, I'm good! Now get back!"

Still not understanding what the black swordsman was planning to do, the other two hesitantly complied, rushing away from the boss.

And then Adam went forwards.

*Clang!*

"I am not losing..!" He grunted, pushing his 'Elucidator' forwards to keep his foe's sword in-check—

*Krrh!*

Pointedly ignoring the shocked looks everyone were giving him—the army, Klein's guild, Klein himself and Asuna—he raised his free hand in the air, Lisbeth's sword 'Dark Repulser' materialising into it a moment later.

"To something that I can eat!" He cackled, sending one large cut at the boss with his other arm. "Because you're a _bull_! God knows how much you would cost if I were to give you for Hari Raya Korban or the like!"

Nobody knew what he meant, since he was referencing to a day in the Islamic Calendar.

*Cngh!* *Clang!* *Zzzk!*

"Hragh!" Letting himself go wild, the black swordsman was already delivering a flurry of blows, letting up only to dodge when his enemy tried to swing at him, at which he rushed in once more to give even more slashes.

"I hate you!" He shouted, applying more force into his swords so they hit harder and cut faster into the beast's torso. "You're trying to hurt the people I love!"

'…the people I love!'

Klein couldn't help but smile at his words, feeling rather appreciated at the sentiment. He understood it very much, considering that he was the lad's first ever friend.

Asuna gasped a silent breath, unable to grasp his words properly. The people he loved..? So all this time, he's been hurting himself, to keep them safe? She wondered where his protective nature stemmed from, but she chose to ignore it—

*Cngh!*

To catch sight of Adam sending a large upper slash at the boss, before he jumped off its sword to deal a downward cut.

"Aether!" He shouted out whilst in the air, falling downwards in a rolling motion, effectively giving the boss multiple cuts along the way.

*Grrha!*

"I don't care if you're mad that I'm trying to kill you, or the fact that you just suck!" He roared, sending swift cuts across its body, powerful thrusts and a good shoulder slam—yeah, he actually did that—towards the beast, sending it a good distance away.

Standing there, far away from each other, Adam looked to where his health bar would be… but was disappointed when he saw no bar there. Asuna would likely see it, considering that Tatl said he'd 'get to work on it'.

'I can do this…' He sighed, holding back from panting right there and then, but—

*Cngh!*

"Gah!" Too slow to sidestep the powerful blow 'The Gleam Eyes' sent him, forcing him to be pushed away—

*Crash!*

And find himself broke against the room wall, finally slumping forwards and falling down, going limp the moment he touched the floor.

"Adam!" Both Asuna and Klein cried out in fear, the former instantly going forwards to attack the boss and draw aggro towards herself.

Klein joined a moment later, putting all faith that Adam would be alive. He promised he would! He said it many times! So he's not going to die now!

And everyone else were too busy watching the spectacle—as the samurai lunged forwards seething with much rage in order to pierce the boss's flesh, and the rapier wielder letting loose a flurry of blows onto her target—that they didn't notice a black haired girl, adorned in white, walking towards where the lad was currently lying.

'I suck…' The lad chided towards himself, a mental sigh escaping him a moment later, feeling very disappointed that he had to rely on Asuna and Klein to fend off the beast. How could he not have dodged that? That wasn't fair; he wasn't focused at the time! He flinched when he heard the sounds of footstep approaching him, but was too tired to do anything.

*Krrh..!*

"..!" But then, he felt the energy revitalise him once more, as he felt something… pouring over him, accompanied with the bright hue of green over his body.

And when he lifted up his head, after the process was finally over, he was now face-to-face with a little girl that had black hair that ran down to just above her waist, and dressed in a simple white gown.

"W-What the?!" Instantly shocked as the pain finally dulled away, he rose into a sitting position, face scrunched up in a horrified expression. "Girl, what are you doing here?!"

"I'm here to help you," she smiled sweetly, instantly extinguishing the fear he had just earlier.

"W-Were you the one who healed me just now?" He asked, earning himself a nod from the girl.

"You can do it. You're not like the other players, after all," she assured him, holding his hands with her lithe ones. "You're just like me."

"Like you? I don't follow," may be what he says on the outside, but he understood very well.

"You and I… Our creator gave us the power to protect," she whispered, body suddenly beginning to waver. "Protect… the players… from him… from his game…"

"W-Whoa!" The lad caught her in his arms, cradling her softly as she let out a few tired snoozes. 'Must have taken a lot from her.'

But, how did she know? How could she… Oh, that was it. She was just like him. And just as she said earlier, he was tasked with protecting the players from their creator. From _Kayaba Akihiko_.

"…Thank you girl," he whispered with a smile, before he returned back to the entrance of the room, giving the sleeping girl to one of Klein's members. "For reminding me of who I really am."

Yes, he was…

"Klein! Asuna!" He yelled, catching both sword-wielders' attention. "Get out of the way!"

"Adam…" Both muttering his name in utter confusion—of how he managed to heal so fast, with a little bit of relief flooding them as well—glad that he was now fine, the both of them finally got out of the way, avoiding a fatal blow from the boss.

 **"You can do this, Adam! / Don't give up!"** Both fairies whispered words of motivation, and he nearly cried there on the spot; he missed them a lot, so just their words were enough to give his heart the balm of motivation he so desperately needed.

"That little girl finally made me remember who I really am," he began softly to keep the words only audible to himself, as he began walking forwards, until that walk turned into a jog, and that jog into a brisk run, which turned into a full-on dash. "And I know what I must do; right here, right now! I'll end you!"

And pulling both of his swords from their scabbards—

*Clang!* *Cngh!* *Cngh!*

He rushed forwards, parrying the boss's sword before delivering multiple strokes and good strikes that threatened to kill it there and then. He sidestepped an attack, cracking his neck by tilting it to the side, before rushing in once more to deal more damage.

"How much health do you seriously have?!" That thought was maddening, considering that each boss just had too much health for their own good. Even so, he continued the assault, letting loose even more swings and cuts and thrusts and blows—with the hilt of 'Dark Repulser'—against the boss.

He felt the searing pain when the boss's large blade ripped his flesh, but nonetheless found it easy enough to ignore the pain. This was more important than anything else—even as more wounds began littering his body and more rips that made their presence known on his outfit.

Their blades met each other even faster than before. Their swings talked of sins of Pride even stronger. Their blows dealt magnitudes that threatened to break the very floor. The torches of blue had resurrected each time they were put out from a powerful shockwave, and walls began to crack from the pressure.

"Hrughaaa!" He roared at the top of his lungs, not even caring if his alveoli popped there and now, even as his heart beat ever faster to give blood to his body parts, which were being pushed to their pitiful limits to match the boss's strength.

*Zzk!*

If this was the real world, the floor would have been tainted with blood. But there was none of the substance as of the moment, even though the red wounds were too obvious. The pain caught up to him, but he pushed past them all, gritting teeth and with much thanks that they haven't been ground to dust by now.

*Krrh!*

'This is it..!' A vision vividly drawing the landscape, himself, the boss, of his actions, of his swords, of the colours at the end, of the blue flames that'd extinguish… This was the time, to finally end this battle, one that had gone long enough.

And then—

*Clang!*

Timing his sword-hand right, he swiped 'Dark Repulser' forwards, pushing against his titanic opponent's metal—

*Cngh!*

Finally managing to catch the bestial humanoid off-guard, he went for the killing blow; one last shot, and the single red health bar at the top would finally diminish. And choosing not to let the chance pass, he thrusted 'Elucidator' forwards, digging the raven blade deep into the boss's torso, as he heard pained, inhuman growls escaped its lips—

*Krrh!*

"…" And watch as the boss finally disappear, breaking off into crystals and later on into an array of colours.

"We did it…" He lowly chuckled, breath all gone as he began to quiver, mind exhausted and body even more. "We did it…" He spoke once more, and the last thing he saw and felt—

*Thud!*

Was the ceiling of the boss room, and the pain of the floor against the back of his head.

* * *

An Hour Later

…What the?

'Ow…' There was a throbbing pain at the back part of his skull that felt as if it were trying to rip the part off his head, and instantly disabled his ability to think, instead choosing to do nothing but bare the stinging. 'Owwie…'

And then, a moment later, he felt the same soothing sensation wash over him, accompanied with gasps. Who was gasping at that moment? Was the girl still there? Was she healing him? He wished that he could have _at least_ ponder on these questions, but doing so would only increase the pain on his head, so he decided otherwise.

'Ow…' Right now, even as the pain started numbing, he couldn't make sense of even left and right, so he instead chose to flutter his eyes open.

"…Adam!" And he was met with the same strawberry blond friend, kneeling beside him and looked to almost be on the verge of tears.

"A-Asuna…" He mouthed, a little bit of voice there, as he rose into a sitting position, instantly clenching his head in his hands. "Argh..! The floor hurt!"

A while later, the pain finally disappeared, and he was able to see clearly—Klein was just standing beside Asuna, the girl beside him, and the samurai's guild and liberation army a bit far away.

"Darn… How long was I even out for..?" He asked. Oh, I don't know, read the transition up there, won't ya'? 'But that would mean I'd breaking the fourth wall…'

…Yeah, no kidding.

"You were out for an hour," Klein informed him, wiping off a little tear that had formed above his eyelids, crossing his arms a moment later with a shaky grin. "We were wondering when you'd wake up."

"Jeez, I already told you that I won't die. Take my word for it, will you..?" He weakly chuckled, an 'Oomph!' escaping him when the lass tackled him with a hug.

"G-God, don't ever do that ever again..!" Asuna's voice cracked with emotion, wailing a moment later, but slightly lessened when the lad patted her back.

"Well, _sorry_ for being born with recklessness," he rolled his eyes. Yup, ever the jesting type he is. "But going back on track, is everyone alright?"

"Yeah. Injured pretty bad, but otherwise fine," the samurai informed, eliciting a breath of relief from the lad. Klein knew enough that his friend would put the wellbeing of the others on mind before anything else, and it was much relief that he was still the same person as ever. And all sense of peace and the like dissipated the moment a more exciting question popped out of his brain. "But anyways, what was that skill back there? That was so awesome! I've never seen it before!"

"O-Oh! Yeah, it's uh…" The swordsman chuckled for a while, nervously coughing into his free hand—the other busy trying to calm down his female friend. "If I got the name right, it's called 'Extra Skill: Dual-wielding."

Though it sounded really cool, which he had to admit does indeed, he was still pretty surprised when the samurai gasped in amazement, his guild and the army joining in as well. Even Corvats was unable to mask his shock.

"Dude! How do you get the skill?" The samurai pushed on, a part of his mind just visualising himself wielding two katanas at the same time. Hey, it's possible in 'Fire Emblem Fates'!

"Do you think I would've kept it a secret if I knew?" The lad sighed. "Unfortunately, I just don't know. It's not even on the information broker's directory."

"R-Really?" Unable to believe it, the samurai popped up an HUD to get to said directory, eyes widening when he couldn't find any details about it in there. "Whoa… You're right."

"It's because it's an exclusive skill, only meant for him," the little girl from before informed, instantly catching everyone's attention.

"Whoa, that's cool…" The lad whistled, looking to the swords that lay on either sides of him, and back to the girl. "But hey, thanks for healing me back there. I… don't know what I would've done if you weren't here."

"Don't worry. I'll always be here to help you," she smiled, moving in close to hold his free hand.

"Well, thanks any… Wait a minute, what do you mean by 'always be here' to help me?" He gulped, feeling some sort of nostalgia from this whole event.

And it took him every ounce of willpower to ignore the lecherous stares the other men were sending him.

"You see…" The girl took a step back, twirling a circle before finally stopping to meet her eyes with his, cute smile etched onto her face. "I'm Yui, and it's nice to meet you, papa!"

* * *

October 19th 2024, Floor 50—Algade

With the news now out to the world, which actually took the whole world by storm, Adam sighed, resting his forehead against the table.

"Bahaha!" Agil laughed, unable to understand it, but still finding it hilarious.

"Dude, you don't even know the results from the world knowing about me now," the lad's slightly annoyed expression contorted into a tired one, exhaustion setting in a moment later. "I mean, players and information brokers from the whole game keep following me around. I can't even live in my own home now!"

Joking aside, it definitely seemed troublesome; Adam was being stalked from each corner, and he swore that he couldn't handle it. His own home, his supposed 'haven', was now a trap, for there would be at least ten or twenty players or information brokers ready to get his words out of his mouth.

And the fact that he now has a _daughter_?! Yeah, yeah. That blew everyone away. Heck, Adam still didn't understand why—

'You're just like me.'

…Of course. Those four words made much sense, after all. He wasn't like anyone else. Right now, he wondered if there was really anything meant for him, but he chose to ignore it otherwise. What do I mean? I mean… Is there really a reason for his living? He knew by then, when she reminded him of who he really was.

To protect the players from their creator.

"Well, the blame's on you in the end," Lisbeth entered the room, carrying a box of stuff and things. Adam offered to carry it, and she complied, handing it to him and telling him to put it off in the corner of the room, along with the other boxes. "You said it was _our_ little secret, but you spilled it to the world anyways."

"Hey, it's not my fault! It was a moment of life-and-death!" He whined, setting the box down slowly so to not spill it's contents. "And I bet someone snitched out on me! But I won't be pointing fingers here, cause' I don't want to be the villain right now!"

"Hehe, you've already done a lot of bad things, Adam," the female blacksmith teased, leaning in close to his ear to whisper. "But you were a hero in bed, for sure…"

"A-Aehyya!" He jumped almost instantly, eyes wide with shock that gave him the view of Lisbeth laughing away. God, what was that?! Did she just tease him? And that wasn't even an innocent type of teasing!

*Creak!*

"Adam!" All attention shifted to a certain strawberry blonde, whom rushed into the room, panting profusely. "This is bad..!"

"Papa," Yui appeared a moment later, giving a look of concern to her father. "What do we do?"

"What do you mean? I don't even know what this bad news is," he tilted his head to the side in questioning.

* * *

Later—October 19th 2024, Floor 55—Grandum

'Now I know what this bad news is…' The lad mentally sweat-dropped, Asuna and Yui at both of his sides.

"This must be the first time we met face-to-face outside of a boss battle," a familiar voice spoke, avatar dressed in simple red and white. "Isn't it, Adam?"

"Are you sure about that?" Adam asked back, tapping his finger against his bottom lip. "If my memory serves me right, we spoke during the sixty-seventh floor's boss raid conference, Commander Heathcliff."

"Indeed, it was a strenuous battle," the commander nodded, hands clasping each other. "We nearly suffered casualties back there."

"Yeah… It doesn't matter that you're the strongest guild or not, since anything could happen," the lad added, a hum of agreement elicited from the commander.

"And even so, it seems that you're trying to take away one of our precious and vital members," Heathcliff accused, the lad flinching in response.

"Du— _Sir_ , if you really consider her as someone precious, would it really hurt you to give her a much more… fitting escort?" The lad asked back, smiling nervously and left arm outstretched to keep Asuna from saying anything.

"Then I apologise for any trouble that Kuradeel has brought upon you," the commander spoke, seemingly not flinching at all. "But I can't just say 'I understand' just like that, considering that you're taking our vice-commander away."

"It's just going to be for a while…" The lad muttered to the side, feeling a tad bit annoyed.

"Adam," the commander finally talked after a moment of silence. "If you truly wish for her to remain with you, then you must prove it to her, with your swords."

"Yeah, because swords communicate better than words," the lad offered, earning himself a nod of understanding from the commander.

"I'm glad that you understand. As such, I propose to you a duel," at Heathcliff's words, the black swordsman's eyebrow cocked upwards. "If you manage to defeat me in battle, I will relinquish Asuna-kun to you."

'Wait, he said 'Asuna-kun'… I thought that prefix is for males only,' the lad pondered, feeling slightly annoyed at himself a moment later. 'Damn it, looks like I have a lot more to learn after all…'

"But if you lose," the commander's steeled words brought the lad out of his reverie. "I will see to it that you join the 'Knights of Blood'."

"Wow, heavy terms there," the lad sweat-dropped, trying to weigh the matter at hand.

On one part, he'd be able to give Asuna the freedom she deserves. As of right now, he felt as if they see her as nothing more than a puppet, and that angered him very so. Asuna was a person! And if he won, which meant that she'd finally be treated as one, this was the best chance yet!

But on the other… His lost scared him slightly. Not only did it mean he'd have to be part of a guild once more, seeing that he liked to be a solo player, it meant…

"I'd have to change to white and red?!" The lad bursted all of a sudden, looking to the commander for any reassurance that this was just a lie, but found none.

"Oh man…" He loved the colour black very much, so losing it felt like losing a part of himself. "Oh well, at least my hair will stay that way. Alright, Heathcliff. If you feel a duel is necessary, then let's do it."

And the deed was sealed.

* * *

Later

"Papa, are you sure you can do it?" Yui asked, feeling rather unsure with it all.

*Pah.*

"Don't worry about it, Yui. Maybe it'll be difficult, but nothing is ever easy," he reassured her, patting her head to calm her down. "Hey Asuna, mind watching over her while I'll be fighting?"

"I'm… sorry you got dragged into this mess," she apologised, taken aback by his sudden huff.

"I asked a question, and you apologise for it? Don't worry, I was hoping this happened," he smiled. "I've been itching for a fight with your Commander. Now that the chance's here, I'm taking it."

"Papa, the man is very powerful… Are you sure you can defeat him?" The little girl asked, prompting the young father to crouch so as to be on an eye-to-eye level with her.

"I don't know, Yui. But I can try, and if I fail…" He bit the inside of his cheek, before a snicker came to him just as easily. "It means I get to spend more time with my friend over here."

"..!" Asuna flinched, face blooming in response to his words. He tittered at her reaction, instantly running away the moment she pulled out her rapier.

* * *

October 20th 2024, Floor 75—Corinea

It was amazing, Adam thought, that they had cleared the game by three quarters.

The city reminded him of Rome, especially the large ring that staged various battles. He remembered that one time he came here, a year ago, to watch a bull fight. It was awesome, simply to say.

But this time, instead of watching a match, he would be part of the match.

Seems that the news of their battle was caught on by everyone, and players all round the game rushed to watch the spectacle. There was even a debate on who would win, either it be Heathcliff, the yet-to-be-beaten Commander of the 'Knights of Blood', and Adam, the black swordsman who wielded the 'Dual-wielding' skill.

 **"Seriously though, they've even given you both titles,"** Tatl chuckled at his human friend's confused reaction. **"They called Heathcliff the 'Living Legend', and you the 'Dual-Wielding Demon'."**

 **"Demon? Sounds rather unfitting there,"** Tael added this time, her huffing a moment later. **"I mean, Adam is such a nice person! If anything, he should be an angel!"**

"A Fallen Angel, because I'm wearing black," the lad corrected, joining in the laughter between the three friends. "But really, thank you for sticking around for so long. I don't know what I would've done without you."

 **"Probably lost and confused,"** Tael happily answered, the lad chuckling a moment later. **"Just… make sure that you don't die or anything, alright?"**

"I promise I won't," the lad nodded. "I promise you, I'll make it out alive."

"Yeah, we'll hold you onto—" The black fairy suddenly paused, when suddenly he began to quiver. "Uh-oh, someone's coming..!"

"Hide!" The lad ordered, the fairies complying as they returned to his hair.

"Adam..!" The lad heard a familiar voice, staggering backwards when Asuna's face came into view. "You idiot!"

"Well, you're not wrong there," he joked, earning a salty look from her.

"Why did you accept his challenge?!" She more of demanded than questioned, the lad flinching in response.

"L-Look! I just wanted to, alright!" He answered, rather weakly. "Plus, I told you already! What's else to say?"

"Jeez…" She sighed, calming down after a while. "…It's just, when I saw your 'Dual-wielding' skill, I was thinking that you were much stronger than anyone else. But even so, the Commander's Unique skill isn't one to laugh at too."

"No kidding. It literally boosts strength and defense, so much so that no one's seen his health drop down to yellow before," the lad sighed, messaging his temples. "What was it—Oh yeah, 'Sacred Sword'. Man, I wonder if it practically means cheating…"

"And what will you do?" At her question, he perked up.

What will he do? Truth be told, he was just planning to do what he's always done before; fight with all his strength. But now, he had to plan carefully. Heathcliff wasn't just like any other players, he was a player amongst players.

"If you lose, you'll be forced to join the 'Knights of Blood'," her pointing out that little fact, the penalty if he lost the match, definitely sent a little shudder of fear down to his gut.

"Oh well," he shrugged, standing up to place a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "If I'm gonna' lose, might as well make the best of it."

And then he left the area, moving towards the exit to enter the sparring field.

* * *

'Wow, is this place noisy or what..?' He sweat-dropped.

The people must really be riled up to watch the battle, no doubt. Even from afar, at the highest seats, he could spot his friends, all watching with much trepidation. His daughter was there as well, sending him a forced smile that was just too easy to decipher—

She was scared.

Scared that he'd be humiliated right here, in front of these people.

But then again, humility is a virtue, if you learn to accept it. Pride was a sin, if you kept yourself on your own pedestal for so long. And as such, if he were to lose here and now, he'd accept loss with an open heart.

"Just a quick question before we do start," Adam began, looking over to where his opponent stood. "How much do the tickets to this match cost?"

"Well, seeing that it this match is between two amazing players, it was set to 250 col," the Commander answered, before a heavy sigh escaped him a moment later. "I truly am sorry for this, Adam. I never did anticipate for this to happen."

"Seriously? I'm not even surprised at this point," the lad chuckled, looking down to the screen in front of him, to see a duel invitation by Heathcliff. He tapped on a few screens, choosing 'First Strike', and clicked accept.

And the counter began.

With the black-cladded swordsman pulling out his 'Elucidator' and 'Dark Repulser', and with Heathcliff wielding his 'Liberator', which consisted of his cross-guard sword and large shield.

"Plus, anything is possible at this point. I never actually thought I'd have the honour of facing you," Adam smiled, a gesture returned by the Commander wholeheartedly.

"And I'm happy to say that it has dispelled the pressure on my shoulders, in fear that you would take me for a wicked man," Heathcliff nodded, a little frown mixed in with his little smile. "Again, forgive me for this. I never really wanted this to happen."

"Well, _you_ don't want to," the lad smiled, before his eyes narrowed into a deathly stare—deadly gaze betraying the friendly smile he had on his face, as he awaited the moment the counter clicked to zero. "I _want_ it to."

*Ting!*

"Hah!" Counter already down to zero, Adam made the first move, rushing forwards and bringing his black sword into a thrust, one that was parried by the Commander's shield. 'As of expected!'

Back-pedalling to avoid a slam from said shield, he rushed in once more, giving multiple slashes at the great shield that was his obstacle.

"My shield will not falter to your blades, Adam," Heathcliff spoke, bashing against Adam's weapons with his shield, before dealing a forward swing with his sword, the lad narrowly avoiding the attack.

"I know! That's why this is fun!" Ever the exuberant swordsman he is, Adam rushed in once more, delivering blow after blow with his black and blue swords, sidestepping once in a while to avoid a fatal slash or powerful slam.

*Clang!*

"You seem to have good reflexes," the Commander complimented as his sword fought for dominance with its opponent.

"And you've got a freaking high defence," the swordsman nodded, applying more force into his black sword to knock away Heathcliff's.

And then they pushed each other away—

*Clang!* *Clang!* *Clang!*

And they fought once more, dealing sword strikes that either met the air or each other; Adam with his 'Elucidator' and 'Night Repulser' continued on the assault, fearless and furiously like a madman, with Heahtcliff and his 'Liberator', as they blocked and parried every attack, acting as a mighty wall from every colossal attacks.

"Hrugh!" The swordsman lunged himself into the air, pulling off the same trick as he began falling down towards the Commander as his body coiled into a ball and rolled. "Aether!"

*Krrh!* *Clang!*

Swords powered up, the blow seemed to have taken an effect, indicated by how Heathcliff was suddenly pushed back by a bit, and—

*Zzk..!*

The little cut he received to his face—the first ever wound he received in forever.

"When life gives you a sword," he began reciting as he dealt even more quicker cuts than before. "You give yourself another!"

'That doesn't make sense…' The fairies in his hair sweat-dropped, not seeing the point of that little joke. Or whatever it was.

*Chng!* *Clang!*

The black swordsman never ceased his attacking streak, but moved ever more faster this time, pulling back his arm to attack with the other, sometimes able to fool his opponent. Adam smiled; this may be easy after all.

"Hrah!" The lad roared as he swung his sword upwards, almost nicking Heathcliff at the jaw. Instantly jumping backwards to avoid himself getting skewered, he lunged himself forwards once more, ignoring the Pavise and Aegis that defended his opponent.

And then—

*Cngh!*

"Aha! Opening!" The lad saw a chance that was formed from him cutting away at his opponent's sword, and brought his 'Night Repulser' into a thrusting stance. And when he lunged himself forward—

*Kng!*

Time seemed to stop, with him gawking in horror as he watched his cyan sword met the Commander's shield.

'How is he..?!' That was fast! Too fast, in fact!

*Zzk!*

"Gah!" And he failed.

He _lost_.

The powerful blow from the sword sent him skidding away, later on the notification of the winner proud on display in the air. He could hear the cheering from the audience, and he sighed.

Looking to where his opponent once stood, Heathcliff was already making his way back to wherever he came from.

And to make things worse, his friends were off in the corner of his vision, watching him with much worry.

He lost. Oh man…

* * *

October 23rd 2024, Floor 55—Grandum

"I can't wear black anymore…" The once-was-black swordsman cried, as he dropped into a couch, slumping with a heavy sigh. "I'm now the ' _white_ swordsman', and that sounds weird as heck…"

"What are talking about? You look great," Asuna smiled reassuringly, hands clasped in front of her.

"Well, you're not wrong about that," he took a few more looks at himself, a satisfied grin later popping up onto his face. "At least it looks like my old clothing set. And it actually does look good."

"See? What's there to worry about?" She sat on the couch opposite of him, looking at the pot of red flowers on the glass table. "You were the one that got these flowers, right?"

"Huh? Perking up, he sat straight and nodded after a while. "Oh, yeah. I got these during my fourth trip to Floria. There were so many beautiful flowers there… I just couldn't help but take some back with me."

"Fourth trip? Wow, you must be some sort of traveller or something," she teased. No doubt these flowers looked gorgeous, and added a bit more colour and life to this otherwise bland room.

*Creak.*

"Excuse me," a man with frizzy brown hair walked in, a pole axe clipped to his back. "Adam, we're going to go on a training session."

"Huh? Training?" The bla—white swordsman asked once more, earning himself a nod from the older man.

"Yup. You'll be joining me and another guy in clearing a dungeon on this floor," he informed.

"H-Hang on Godfree," Asuna stood up from her seat, prompting Adam to do the same, albeit much slowly. "Adam is with me, why should—"

"I understand, vice-commander. But no one would really like it if they heard you breaking the regulations," Godfree calmly spoke, coughing into his balled fist a moment later. "Plus, he's a new member of our guild. As such, being the forward commander I am, I'd like to take a moment to assess his skills."

"I could just write it all down on paper and hand it to you…" The lad weakly offered, all forms of words lost as the man let out a hearty laugh.

"Nonsense! It's as they say, actions speak louder than words!" Okay. That, he could agree very with very much. "Well then, I'll be meeting you at the front gate soon enough!" Godfree's final words rung in the air as left the room with a hearty laugh.

And the moment of silence, which lasted for a whole minute, was broken by Asuna's sigh.

"Don't worry about it," the lad whistled, flashing a smile in her way. "It'll be very quick. Watch over yourself and Yui while I'm away, got it?"

"Y-Yeah," she weakly nodded. She didn't mind watching over Yui—in fact, they've grown closer over the time, almost feeling as if they were sisters or the like, which felt weird since it'd make her Adam's second daughter. Rather, she just had a bad feeling about all of this, but finally chose to let it go. "Take care."

"Of course," the lad nodded, making his way to follow where Godfree went.

* * *

*Krrh..!*

 **"What do you see?"** Tatl asked, able to see the gears grinding in front of Adam's eye that turned blue.

"I see… Kuradeel killing Godfree, and me," he informed, eliciting gasps of fright from his fairy friends. Once the light in his eyes died down, he blinked for a while, before giving his fairy friends a smile. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

 **"Fine? Fine?! You'll get killed by that wretched, overprotective twat, and you're saying this will be fine?!"** This wasn't a scolding, this was merely an outburst of worry. Both her and her brother knew enough that they enjoyed being with Adam very much, so if anything happened to him…

 **"Adam, I don't like this. You can't possibly just walk into all of this that easily,"** the black fairy spoke, feeling rather unconfident in his friend now. Sure, the lad's proven himself countless of times, but they knew by now that Kuradeel was anything but honourable.

"From what I saw, he would poison us by inserting a paralysing into our drinks," Adam remembered. "So, to make sure that I and Godfree don't die, I'll make sure that we won't drink from them."

 **"B-B-But…"** Tael seemed ready to argue back, until her brother piped in.

 **"You'd better pull this off properly. I won't forgive myself if you die now,"** Tatl spoke, eliciting a gasp from his sister. **"I trust in Adam, Tael. Please, do the same."**

 **"I-I… Fine!"** The white fairy relented, facing Adam with fresh new tears—she didn't have eyes, so asking for how that works is definitely a huge mystery. **"Don't you even think of dying on us! You do so, and I'll kill you again!"**

"First thing I'll have in my mind when that does happen is how you pulled it off," the lad smiled, wiping away at the little trickle of water on her. "But I promise. I won't die, not yet."

 **"Good, you better not,"** she laughed a dry chuckle, shaking herself of all her tears. **"Well, see you in the flesh later on."**

 **"Good luck, Adam,"** Tatl spoke next, joining his sister in Adam's hair.

'Why the heck did they have all that sad talk, when they're still going to be with me anyways..?' The lad sighed; life was so confusing at times.

Plus, they knew of his condition. Must have been the flow of things, he guessed.

Considering the fact that he's been in more deadly situations than this, he wondered why they would even worry about it anymore. He's already survived tens to thousands—exaggeration, I know—of danger, but to think that they still worry about him…

'Awwh, isn't that sweet~!' He beamed, making sure to conceal his smile in case his fairy friends would think him mad for smiling all alone now.

But proceeding on his walk once more, he saw the outlining of Godfree's body right outside the gate. And when the brunette suddenly moved to pull someone to him, Adam wasn't all that surprised that it was Kuradeel.

Their soon-to-be murderer—in Godfree's case.

"Hey there!" Godfree called over, hands at either side of his hips.

Apparently, unable to face him—literally and figuratively—ever since the battle, Kuradeel in question chose to avert his gaze to the floor, not meeting Adam's eyes directly.

"Okay, I'm just going to be straight and ask what's going on," Adam clicked his tongue, looking to Godfree for answers.

"Well, since you're now part of us, it'd be nice if we could just put the past aside. You know, forgive and forget?" The brunette explained with a smile.

"Oh, I can forgive. But I won't forget," the lad shook his head, earning a confused look from the large man. "If I forget, the past can just repeat itself."

"Man, you think too much!" The friendly man laughed, gesturing for Kuradeel to move forwards, of which the latter hesitantly complied.

"I… apologise for the trouble that I have caused the other day," Kuradeel spoke as he lowered himself into a bow. "I ask for your forgiveness. I promise it will not happen ever again."

"Yeah, I already said I forgive you," the lad nervously sweat-dropped, feeling an awkward tension building up in the air. "I will forgive, not forget. That's what I did say, after all."

"See?" Godfree spoke as he placed a reassuring hand on the lad's shoulder. "Problem solved."

But looking to Kuradeel, it wasn't hard to wonder if he were really honest. In fact, not even bothering to listen to the brunette's words, what with the vision he saw, no doubt that things were about to go south.

Soon.

And of course, too much thinking meant that the lad hadn't heard a single word, up until now.

"…so I'll be holding onto your crystals," were the words that stuck to Adam, the latter blinking in surprise.

"Even the teleport crystals?" Adam asked, earning himself a nod. He watched Kuradeel place his onto Godfree's hand, of which he complied as well, hesitantly.

"Alright! Now let's move!" Godfree cheered, thrusting a fist up into the air.

"Yes, / Y-Yeah…" Both Kuradeel and Adam responded with their own amounts of enthusiasm. Which, to be honest, wasn't all that high at all.

* * *

A Moment Later

Travelling in a ravine of sorts taught our white-cladded protagonist some new things.

For instance, he learned of how this area was once a beautiful sea, until the hot sun had dried it off, leaving a barren land with cracks everywhere, which were what the group of three were currently in.

But really, this was a folklore. But even so, he found himself interested in it all. It meant that this place could have well been a planned stage for some sort of sea dungeon, but probably cancelled due to some difficulties or the like.

And then, there was the fact of how it was formed; usually from something called stream cutting erosion. It left a lot of questions, but he found himself fascinated nonetheless. Narrower than a canyon, larger than gullies and smaller than valleys, all the information entered his brain, adding more to his excitement to learn more about the area.

And the game in general.

"Alright, let's stop here for now!" Godfree shouted with a good grin, the other two dropping down to take a seat on a piece of the land that seemed to pop out. "Alright, here's the rations."

Popping open his HUD, he pulled out several packs, of which he tossed one to Kuradeel, and the other to Adam.

And the lad was more than disappointed to see a simple, dry scone placed in the sack, close to a bottle of water. He sighed, already missing Asuna's cooking.

He missed the sandwich she would usually make. Sure, she wasn't necessarily his personal cook, but he loved it when she was always making something for him.

He popped open the bottle, and brought it to his lips—

*Tong!*

"Gah!" Before tossing it at Kuradeel, watching as the object fell to the ground and disappeared into pixels.

" _Yeah_ , I don't plan to apologise to some guy who's trying to kill me," the swordsman spat, already wielding both swords in hand.

*Thud!*

"W-What is this..?" The brunette asked, unable to understand what was going on, as his body suddenly froze and dropped to the ground, eyes bulging wide in confusion and shock.

"Simple answer, we just got tricked by a guy who was trying to kill me," Adam answered nonchalantly, seeing the horrified look on Godfree's face from the corner of his peripherals. "Kuradeel, you were an idiot if you thought I didn't see that coming."

"Oh, smart guy, are you?!" The ex-bodyguard broke his calm demeanour, converting into a madman than anything else.

"Well, I'd be blind if I didn't consider this from the start," the lad smiled a cocky grin that was more threatening than anything else. "Besides, aren't you a 'Laughing Coffin' member?"

"W-What?! Impossible!" Godfree snapped, unable to accept the naked truth, until—

*Krrh!*

The gauntlet on Kuradeel's left arm disappeared, proudly displaying the sign of the PK guild on the bare skin.

"Smart kid! Man, it's funny how the modern age is coming up pretty brightly!" Kuradeel's lips curled into a wide grin, sadistic as it could get.

"Well, you've got one problem to deal with, butt face!" The lad spat, readying himself into a stance to attack the dastard. "I used to think that you were the overprotective type. Now I understand why you didn't want me around Asuna. You wanted to kill her, but seeing that I was an obstacle, well… Aren't you glad that we get to face off once more?"

"Hah! If anything," the 'Laughing Coffin' member pulled out his sword, sweeping his grey hair behind him with his free hand. "You will be the one to die!"

"Oh please. If anything, I'd just go home with a sore arm," he sighed, before—

*Clang!*

Lunging himself forwards to introduce his 'Elucidator' with his opponent's own weapon, he watched as their weapons made contact with each other, instantly giving him the chance to move in his 'Elucidator' to give its own attack.

Kuradeel, being the slower one here, was unable to dodge or even parry Adam's attack, and all he could do was accept the blow that came one after another.

"You're horrible at this!" The lad mocked cheekily as he gave one cut with his midnight sword, following it with one from his cyan sword. Each cut managed to make itself present on the madman's body, armour and face, and finally—

*Clang!*

With one powerful swing, Adam finally tossed his opponent's weapon into the air, said weapon a good distance away from them.

"W-Wait! I-I-I give! Please"! He suddenly surrendered, dropping down into a bow onto the ground just as quick.

"I don't know, I do want to forgive you, but twice in a row? First time could be a mistake, but a second time is a pattern. A person like you, who's part of a PK-ing guild no less? Now you're just asking for the impossible," the lad whistled, glancing at Godfree to make sure the latter got out of his paralysed condition. 'Jeez, taking too long, if anything…'

"P-P-Please! I promise, I won't ever show my face after this!" Kuradeel pleaded even further, keeping his head low and unseen, face overshadowed by his—Adam hated to talk bad about others, but he didn't like to lie too—ugly mop of a hair.

"Yeah. And to make sure of this," the lad began, taking a little throwing pick—

*Ck.*

"Kh!"  
"I'll make sure you won't be able to move."

And just as the lad spoke, he swiped a throwing pick against the 'Laughing Coffin' member's bare skin, the same thing that poisoned Godfree entering Kuradeel's veins, paralytic poison taking effect just as quick.

*Thud!*

"Now that's settled," the lad sighed the same time Kuradeel dropped to the ground, returning his weapons to their scabbards on his back once more. "I'll let Commander Heathcliff deal with you. You won't earn my forgiveness, nor my hope that you be set free. What happens after all of this…" He moved to Godfree, taking his arm and shouldering him to give him support. "We'll just have to see."

* * *

Later

"So you're saying that Kuradeel is a member of the 'Laughing Coffin' guild, and he tried to kill you and Godfree?" Heathcliff asked with eyes of a hawk, earning himself a nod from the lad.

"I ask that you decide on what happens next. Do not put my feelings into consideration," the lad requested, pointedly ignoring the apologetic expression on his friend, whom leaned against the wall as she watched the conversation.

"…Very well, but why do you say that?" He couldn't lie; that felt rather outlandish. It was definitely interesting, so pushing him for said matter definitely sounded right here.

"Because I'm not even positive if he deserves forgiveness," the lad grimaced, remembering the vision he had. "He's a human, so he has rights. But even then, he killed other people. He's wrong, yet he's not. What do I do then, huh? If I were the one deciding all of this, I wouldn't know what to do. As such, please, do what you see fit."

"And if I say the punishment is death?" Heathcliff offered, awaiting his answer with much curiosity.

"Then do it. Like I said, you should be able to cary it out without much fear, unlike me," the lad finally walked towards the door, waving his hand behind him as he walked past Asuna without a care. "See y'all later."

And he left the room, making way for the gate, the very same place where he was about to depart for the dungeons, until—

"Adam!" He heard a familiar voice, but chose not to turn around. Even when the sounds of footsteps ceased at one point, even when slight pants filled the air, he kept himself from looking at her.

"…Sorry. I wish it could've gone another way, but that was the only way I saw could really keep both me and Godfree off the stakes," the lad apologised. "I mean, I've always been such a troublesome person for you. First with Kuradeel, and then that one time where I told you to leave my house…"

"Leave? What do you mean?" She asked, still not understanding.

"I meant…" He turned around, facing her with a sorrowful expression. He balled his fists by his side, and forced himself to talk. "I-I told Klein and Agil to tell you that everyone went home!"

"W-What?" She blinked in surprise.

"I-It's because I wanted to tell everyone something, but I just couldn't! And not even with you!" He suddenly cried out, face burning with anger and sadness. "I wanted to tell you, God! But I just couldn't! I kept you from the truth, because…"

"Because what..?" She spoke so softly, it felt as if her words were lost in the wind. She was shaking now, still not understanding what was going on as of the moment.

"Because I was scared you'd _give up_ on me!" He snapped, sending the lass to flinch. "I'm a horrible person! The worst, even! I'm always making people worry about me! No matter what I do, I always hurt people!"

"I hurt Klein because I left him on the first day! I hurt Agil by calling him a fraud! I hurt Sachi because I couldn't get rid of her fear of death! I hurt Silica because I used her like a tool! I hurt Lisbeth because I treated her like she wasn't helping! I hurt Argo by saying that I don't like her being a merchant! I hurt Yolko by telling her that I hate her guild leader's husband! A-And…" He trailed off, clutching his head with one hand as he tried to regain his breathing.

"And I hurt you," his final words sent a pang of guilt in her chest, one that blossomed enough to send her to tears.

"What do you mean _you_ hurt me?! If anything, _I_ was the one that hurt you!" She suddenly screamed, pushing away all the lad's frustration, as he stared back at her with eyes that displayed shock and dubiety. "I always kept you around, even when you had other things to do! And because of me, you got into trouble with Kuradeel! A-And then, you were even forced to join the 'Knights of Blood', because of me!"

"I know that I'm always bringing problems to you…" She sobbed silently, averting her gaze to her feet, not daring to look at her friend no longer. "I know that you don't like it when I'm around you…" Her eyes screwed shut, she didn't notice the lad moving towards her. "S-So, I promise… I'll leave you alone," and then he stopped. "And—"

And all forms of words were lost on her tongue, when Adam saw it fit to move forwards; the sensation of something rugged, chapped from the surrounding's air, moved to her lips.

Her sobs all but cut off, curtesy of Adam's lips on her own.

She couldn't help but yelp a little, shock clouding her mind that she couldn't think no more. There were still some tears in her eyes, but the sorrow that was once there now had faded away. His lips were slightly rough, but hers felt as soft as a cloud. So much so, that he felt like he could get lost in them, drowned in pleasure from her cloud-like lips.

And when he felt it needed that they regain their breaths, Adam finally retracted himself, lips parting with a smack as he stared into the girl's amber orbs.

"I'm sorry that I hurt you a lot, Asuna. And…" He bit his lip, looking down to find the words he needed, before rising once more with a poised smile. "Thank you, for always looking out for me. You made me feel safe, and loved, I guess I just couldn't handle being away from you."

"So please," he pleaded, pecking the lass on her lips one more time. "Will you… Allow me to be yours..?"

"…" She blinked, unknowing of what to say, but that one smile that smoothly portrayed her features was enough to display all the happiness she had ever felt. "Of course. And I yours."

And the two spent some time there, smiling at each other, with new tears of joy in their eyes, before their lips met one more time—lovingly and slowly this time.

* * *

 _The same colours he had tossed aside was the very same colours that defined him; black as the night, cold and calculating._

 _She was the opposite; white, pure and innocent, whose smiles was always the ray of light in even the darkest regions._

 _They were never the same, but they found it in each other's hearts to love each other in the end. And if anything was there to break them apart…_

 _They would face the challenge together, as the sun and moon. They would sing together, like the concerto of black and white. And they would love each other, like the colours that would become one to form grey. Or gray, whichever floats your boat._

* * *

A/N: I know for sure that many of you are probably going to complain about the disappearance of 'Trigger Summon', so I'll be clear. I don't really find any sort of inspiration in it, considering that there's too many characters, and that I just don't know what to write. But there will be a new story based on 'Fire Emblem Heroes', that will probably come out once everything over here is done. Thanks!


	14. Chapter 13

"Don't let me down!" - Speech

'You look familiar…' - Thoughts

 _"The war was over."_ \- Flashback / Emphasis

*Whoosh!* *Tzzz!* - Sound effects

 **"This isn't good!"** \- Tatl / Tael Speech

 **'How in the world?'** \- Tatl / Tael Thoughts

* * *

'`Chapter 13: A Sword, A Rapier, And A Little Girl'`

 _When it came to him that she was just like him, a being created to fulfil a role, it was acceptable, realising that it gave him the chance to recuperate in the presence of another being like him._

 _But when it came to him that she was his daughter, it took him by storm._

 _And when he realised that he was the one who ignited the flame of love towards him within Asuna's heart on his own accord, he realised then, that he wanted a family._

 _A real family. And thus began, a first step together._

* * *

October 26th 2024, Floor 50—Adam's Home

"And the little fairies lived happily ever after," Adam slowly fluttered the pages to one end, finally shutting the book with a little sound that briefly rung in the air, briefing a smile at her daughter. "The end."

"Wow, that story was amazing!" Yui beamed at her father, the latter smiling back in return—with a little trickle of sweat on his brow.

See, things have been slightly calmer. There was no more tension between him and Asuna after that little incident with Kuradeel, and it seems that things have actually gotten for the better. And things have been happening.

And by that, I mean a _lot_ of things happened.

First off, Argo had just recently earned herself a jackpot, _two_ in fact; one with a large haul of items—with help from Adam, of which she decided that he'd get his 'reward' later night—and the seemingly rich players that were more than happy to pay extra for the high-quality items that the lad got for his information broker lover. She was close to being a millionaire, but ultimately decided to share half with Adam, much to the latter's gratitude.

And just then, it seems that Klein has just recently gotten himself a new weapon, a katana called the 'Wakizashi'. The lad couldn't lie, he was impressed at the weapon's stats. Owning a strength that rivalled his 'Elucidator's', and a pretty good speed and reach, the samurai was now a powerful man all on his own.

But of course, he had his guild behind him to always support him, so it made Adam happy enough that there were people watching over him.

And _after that_ , Yolko had finally revived the 'Golden Apple' guild, with her acting as its new guild leader. It was a pretty big surprise for him, but he was proud of her nonetheless. And of course, it gave him the chance to meet new people, which were the other members, and it was an amazing thing in the end. New people meant new friends, and new friends meant, well…

Each time he thought he'd get some intimacy with just Yolko, he'd be the teasing point from the other members, much to his and the purplette's chagrin.

And last but not least, Yui had been excelling in swordsmanship. Given that she was still a child, it was an amazing achievement nonetheless! Of course, she wasn't exactly on his or Asuna's level yet—or even Silica—but she was an amazing girl all the same. Heck, she's managed to beat fifteen 'Lizardman Lord', _alone_! If that wasn't impressive, he'd call that stellar.

…Didn't find that hilarious? Alright.

'Things really are so peaceful…' He mentally smiled, looking to his daughter, who was busy rereading the book he had recited for her.

And then, his mind came crashing down, when the thought of what happened came to mind.

It's been three days ever since he proposed to Asuna, he noted. But the biggest surprise to him, was how _he_ was the one that engaged the kiss, not _Asuna_! In fact, while everyone were busy begging for the chance to hear the tales of how the girls fell in love with him, no one had ever batten an eye at that one, measly detail!

But this came as a shocker for him alone! Considering that he was the one that kissed the strawberry blonde, it must mean… That he loved her the most. Of course, he loved the other girls too, but if there was a harem, which he knew already exists… Then no doubt was Asuna the leading alpha in this little group!

'Aargh, this is so embarrassing..!' He mentally squealed, instantly burying his face in a pillow to hide his blush.

And when he looked at Yui, who was busy re-skimming through the volume once more, a single thought came to mind.

 _Marriage_.

No doubt was in-game marriage a thing. In fact, simple evidence was Griselda and Grimlock, both of whom were married in the real world, and this one. So thinking back on it now, he wondered what it would be like, if he were to get married to Asuna now.

Undoubtedly, it meant that he'd be able to eat Asuna's cooking for all eternity,—of course, until they escaped, but that simple correction was long dulled by the growing hunger in his stomach. And it meant that Yui… would have _parents_.

He knew that the little girl was just like him, but did it mean anything? He wanted her to have a good life, after all. And if it meant that she'd have the opportunity to have parents, well… Why hold back? She and Asuna were already so close, what's to change if they became mother and daughter?

'But then…' Though all of these thoughts seemed tantalising enough, there was that one little part of his mind that threatened to break all sense of joy. 'She's in a guild…'

And it's the 'Knights of Blood', no less. Surely, this would mean that she would constantly be busy fighting at the frontline, and he worried that the three of them wouldn't be able to spend time together. And what's more, he was already part of the guild, so if he left with Asuna… Where would Yui be?

Holding back the ever growing need to just let out a growl, he spared a glance at his daughter, and the happy smile she had acted as a balm on his heart, instantly soothing all sense of anger.

'No, if I'm going to do this, I need to do this right,' he mentally nodded, putting together all the tactics and plans for this.

This was a huge gamble, putting both Asuna's role as vice-commander of the 'Knights of Blood' on one part, and his daughter, Yui's happiness on one side. If he succeeds, he'd be able to balance both parts, yet still come to a happy conclusion.

But if he fails…

'Well, I'm already past the stages of grief. Now I just need to be prepared,' he smiled a determined smile, looking to the clock before his eyes widened with surprise. "Yui."

"Yes papa?" She asked back, looking at his eyes with curiosity.

"It's night. We need to get some rest," he briefly said, rubbing her head smoothly, eliciting a hum from the girl.

She deserved the best, and the best he would give her.

* * *

The Next Day

"Man… No matter how many times I see your sword," Lisbeth examined the weapon, looking at the clean edge of the sword. "I'm still going to be amazed by how you even managed to _craft_ this…"

'Rebellion', one of Adam's proud works that he was ever so happy to give to his daughter—he found it rather unsettling that Yui, a chirpy and innocent little girl, said she was _attached_ to an ominous-looking weapon like this one.

A massive claymore with a heavy double-edged blade, with a plain grip, but possessing a guard which was skeletal, with a skull-design on each side leading to the rib cage from which the blade emerges. Putting his knowledge of smithing to good use, he's managed to craft this sword to cut down just about anything!

There were the ones that were weak to slashing, such as the 'Killer Mantis' and 'Garish Gerbera', all of which can easily be taken down with a sword. Then there were the ones that possess hard bodies such as the 'Demonic Servant', all of which require a weapon such as a mace or a club to effectively pommel them. And last was the tough-skinned enemies like the 'Lizardman Lord', of which rapiers, lances, daggers and bows were the best choices here.

But since this is Adam we're talking about, and seeing that he was the one that built the sword, there's already proof that the weapon is able to cut down all types of enemies—he had brought Yui along with him on a test run, of which she's managed to win fairly easily against them all.

As such, he was more than comfortable to hand down the 'Rebellion' to Yui, though still finding it unsettling of how comfortable she is with the sword, much more when considering that the blade looked too scary.

But in the end, if she was happy, then why should he care?

Because he's her father, duh.

"I wasn't honestly expecting myself to have been able to have built such strange weapon in the first place as well," he admitted, sipping on his cup of blueberry tea for a bit. "But I _did_ want a good weapon for Yui, so I guess this was the best choice."

"And it is!" The girl in question chirped back, her father smiling warmly in return.

"When did Yui want to become a swords-woman in the first place?" Silica spoke up, after a long time of talking and playing with Pina.

"Umm… It must have been during that one battle with the 'Gleaming Eyes'," he recounted, trying to pull the fragments of information that was messily scattered in his brain into an organised flow. "Sometime or later, she came to me with a request that I train her to be a swords-woman. Of course, I was against it, but…"

"She used the puppy eyes trick," Asuna finished for him, the girls giggling at the blush that formed on their lover's face.

"Well, it's not like I would say _no_ to anyone's request anyways…" He muttered as he looked away, little words unable to conquer the laughter from the other.

"Yeah, but talking about denying one's request…" Agil spoke this time, huffing in slight chagrin. "Seriously man! I was really hoping that you were just kidding about the 'Raggout Stew' thing! I was hoping that you'd share me! But the next thing I knew, I only got a letter, saying how good it was!"

"Well, obviously I won't share it," he shrugged in response, smiling at the large man's gawking. "Dude, do you seriously think I'd share food? Heck no!"

"Haha! Adam, always fuelled by food it seems!" Klein laughed, everyone else joining in. Except Agil, who wallowed in slight disappointment that he'd never get the chance to taste such delicacy ever.

"So, when's the next time you plan to train Yui?" Asuna's voice broke through the silent air when the laughter finally died down, a new sound coming in the form of him humming, thoughtful.

"Maybe when there's someone willing for a good fight," he shrugged, putting his empty cup down onto the table. "See, I noticed just how inexperienced some fighters are. As much as I would like it for them to be Yui's opponent, I'd like to assess her strengths."

"So why not get Klein to fight her?" Lisbeth offered, the samurai in question gawking at her words.

"I can't do that! If I do, I wouldn't hear the end from Adam!" The maroon haired man shook his head furiously, the lad in question laughing in response.

"That's not necessarily the only answer. For one, if he even hurts my daughter…" He paused, sending a mean glare in the samurai's way that sent a thrill of fear down his spine, almost enough to make him wet himself. "But the other, is because she would probably know Klein's fighting patterns. I want to see if she's able to adapt to the situation, and take on the opponent without any knowledge of the opponent."

"I see… So that way, you'll be able to tell on which field she excels in, and which she doesn't, and seeing how well she goes against a total stranger," Asuna nodded in understanding, smiling at Yui, whom held the sword close to her chest. "Well, seems to me that you're growing up to be a fine woman."

"Ah! Too fast, Asuna! She'll be a _lady_ before she's a woman," he corrected, the strawberry blonde tittering to his words, a simple gesture he joined in with his own chuckle. "But I think I've got just the guy. Or should I say, girl."

"Oh? Who is it, papa!" She asked, too much excitement and curiosity in her tone that threatened to kill his tire—he was very accepting of that threat; his tire was much unappreciated as of the moment.

"Well, I have this one friend. I remember back then that she was probably the better one than me, and I've no doubt that she'd be good to go by now," he smiled, standing up from his seat and beaming at everyone in the house. "Well, what say we go pay her a visit?"

* * *

Later—Floor 39—Nolfret

Nolfret, a simple town that once served as the 'Knight of Blood' headquarter's previous location. Now, it was nothing more than a simple, urban village that housed NPC's that lived as villagers.

What he liked most about the area, was how natural it was. There wasn't any blacksmithing shops, so really, the air was just as clean as the people were.

…Well, as clean as the _good_ people were, spirit-wise. The bad guys? Eh, not so.

"So, who's this friend of yours?" Adopting a sly tone, and Lisbeth was able to force Adam to flinch.

"She's just a friend, if you're possibly thinking of something else," he coughed into his fist, nervously averting his gaze away from the smirk Asuna sent in his way. "She's Strea. Met her and another girl named Phillia back when I first started. They gave me my first sword, and I've practically been wielding it, until I came upon 'Elucidator' and 'Dark Repulser'."

"Really? What weapon does she use?" Silica asked next, making sure not to drop Pina, who was sitting atop her head.

"She uses a sword, one handed just like me," he shrugged. "Anyways, I think her house should be somewhere around… Here!"

Following where Adam's gaze pointed to, everyone were surprised when the view of a large cottage, designed with two chimneys, a large black roof and a stone pavement came to them. Truly, it looked too large for just one person to be living in.

"Well, no time like the present to get started, eh?" He chuckled, walking towards the little gate that divided the outside from the cottage. From here, it was just a straight walk to the door.

And reaching the foot of the entrance—

*Knock!* *Knock!*

A few good knocks on the door, and he could hear someone shouting for them to wait, of which he and the others complied.

*Creak…*

"Hello, how may I—" Words caught in her mouth when her eyes landed on a familiar face. A face she knew, despite being separated from him for these long years. "Adam! What are you doing here?"

"A-Aha, reason…" He nervously chuckled, coughing into his balled fist to clear the awkward tension that clouded his mind. "Could we, umm… Come in..?"

"W-What?" The girl tilted her head, but seeing the others behind him brought her out of her reverie. "Oh, of course! Come in! Any friend of Adam is my friend as well!"

"Even handsome men like Klein and Agil here?" He laughed, earning himself a jab from the girl.

"You say that, but even you have your own charms," she sighed, face turning crimson the moment she realised what she said. "I-I mean..! I-I'll be in the kitchen!"

And off she ran, into the house and upstairs, presumably somewhere else but the kitchen.

"Ever shy as she was before…" He sighed, smiling calmly as everyone got in, casting one glance over his shoulder to look at her front garden. This was nice.

* * *

Indulging himself in the biscuits that Strea had brought from the kitchen, after she managed to calm herself down and explain her words properly.

And it was a hilarious thought; of how both Klein and Agil felt defeated at losing to Adam in terms of charms and skill, which was without doubt.

"So you're saying this girl," Strea gestured to Yui, who blinked back in confusion. "Is your _daughter_?"

"Hey, look at the bright side. Now I know what sort of amazing things Agil's gone through before," he smiled, looking to the larger man whom mirrored his actions.

"No kidding. Having your own family is one of the best things in the world," the large man nodded.

"Okay…" Drawling her words, she looked back to Adam, the latter doing the same. "So, why did you come here again?"

"Ah, right. See, I wanted to find Yui a suitable sparring partner, one she had never met before," he explained. "And finally, I chose you."

"Why me, though? Surely, there's other people out there that would suit this task much better than I," she wondered, skepticism hinged on her mind. If anything, why isn't he the one training her?

"Well, I could never train her, seeing that I could do a bit too much damage…" He mumbled, pulling in some air through his nostrils. "But I'd feel more comfortable having a girl train Yui. I've met loads of people who've been saying that they're up for the task. A rookie named Horace, a clubber named Devdan, that one buxom woman I met once named Hasah… But none of them even managed to give Yui a challenge."

"And what makes you think that I'm any better?" Strea frowned, more from fear, and less from disappointment. If what he said was true, no doubt that this girl must be very skilled.

"It's because…" He pulled out a flier, handing it to the lavender-haired girl, the latter's eyes going wide in surprise a moment later. "I know just how good you are. This is you, Strea. You've been participating the arena nowadays, it seems, and you're currently undefeatable. If that isn't evidence enough, then I can tell just by looking at you. You and I, as well as Phillia, have trained together during our first time together, and you were by far the best out of us three."

"Well, that position's reverted to you this time," she gently laughed, the lad pouting in response. "Seriously, it's hard to go anywhere nowadays without hearing the feats of the 'Black Swordsman'. Really though, when did you even start dual-wielding?"

"I-I don't know! I just had the skill all of a sudden! Last thing I knew, the _whole world_ was dead on my tracks!" He pouted, embarrassment setting in when everyone else laughed.

"So, you want me to train your daughter…" She repeated, earning herself a nod from the lad. "Sure. I might learn something new too."

"Great! The earlier the better!" He smiled, everyone's eyes shining with much excitement and anticipation.

Yui was the one most excited, she almost cut off the couch she was sitting on—it was by much luck that Adam managed to snag the blade from her even then.

* * *

An Hour Later

"Papa! How do I look?" Yui chirped, giving a light twirl to show all sides of her.

"You look amazing," he chuckled, joy in his eyes that reflected the girl's own—except this time, Yui's own happiness increased tenfold at her father's compliment.

After a little visit to a tailor in Lindas named Ashley, Asuna had requested that they'd get Yui an outfit, in case she'd ever need to go out into battle. And, as per Yui's request—of which she wanted to look just like her father—Ashley had put together an outfit that was an almost exact replica of Adam's outfit, only difference being the higher number of white outlining on her outfit.

And all the girls couldn't lie that she looked too darn cute for them to look away. And in Klein and Agil's case…

Both of them promised to not even look at their friend's daughter in a lecherous way, after Adam had promised that he'd toss them into a ravine if they ever thought of doing so—all in all, the lad would do just about anything if he said he was going to do it.

"So, how do you want this little training match to be?" Strea asked, after finally getting out of the house and from putting on her training gear; simple purple gear that matched her camilla hair, and seemed good enough to withstand any hard attacks.

"I just want to assess Yui's strengths and skills to see which forte she excels or lacks in, so a simple full-on battle would be good," he smiled, answered with a nervous sweat-drop from the girl.

"You sure I should… go full-out?" She asked, uncertain with the idea of hurting her friend's daughter.

"Pshaw! Yui will do just fine! I believe in her!" His words may have sounded like the usual, joking words to him, but his daughter thought otherwise.

'Papa believes in me..!' She thought with a look that displayed so much enthusiasm.

Never had their creator expected her to have achieved anything, but here her father was; expecting her to reach his level—No… _Surpass_ him! Such words of motivation spurred her on, and she found herself determined to win, for her father.

"Alright-y, ladies. Get into your positions, please," he instructed, both Strea and Yui obliging as they stood on opposite ends at the little opening in the forest they decided to use for their training ground. "Rules are simple. Whoever gets pushed out of the boundaries, or get injured to just slightly above half of their 'Health-Point' loses. Understood?"

"Yes!" Both swords-women shouted in unison, giving a steeled leer at their opponent.

'Well, if nothing has killed me so far, this battle will probably do it,' Adam mentally quipped, before stepping to the side of the field, leaning against a tree with Klein right beside him.

'I can do this!' The lad had been kind enough to fight by her side when they first met, and Strea couldn't lie that he was such the chivalrous man he thought he wasn't. Though she was the one that seemed to have the upper hand at first, it seems now that he had long surpassed her, but she didn't care. She was determined now, to win and show her friend how much she has grown.

'This is it!' Words of wisdom passed down unto her, and Yui had grown so much. Just a few days, and she would've never thought she'd be walking down the same road her father had taken. But she regretted none of it, for it meant that she'd be able to walk behind—

 _'Never aim to walk in one's shadow. Always aim to walk beside them.'_

And those words cancelled her previous thoughts, and replacing her little fear was a renewed flame of bravery and determination. Her father expects her to win, and she will do so. For her father.

'I can… _not_ do this…' Adam mentally sighed, realising just how futile it was from the get-go. Just looking at the two swords-women told him plenty.

He was lacking in fashion.

"And…" Breath caught in his throat, he caught a glimpse of how readied Strea and Yui were, and a smile flashed itself upon his features. "Go!"

And just like that, both girls were off, rushing towards their opponent with flames that burned as strong as the Sun. Yui with her 'Rebellion', and Strea with her 'Invaria' lunged at each other—

*Clang!*

Weapons meeting with a loud ring that resounded throughout the forest, backing away before going in once more, dealing a flurry of swings and strikes that failed to reach the other.

"Fast…" Adam noted, keeping track as he watched his daughter back-pedalled, before lunging herself forwards, blade glowing bright blue and ricocheting hard with her opponent's sword. Strea was lucky enough that she managed to get a good distance away, in case things went south.

"Did you teach her that?" Klein asked out of curiosity, the lad nodding in response.

"It's a self-made technique called the 'Stinger', of which Yui would lunge herself forwards, and the sword plunges into the enemy," he explained, releasing a tired breath at the end.

"Wait, you _made_ that skill?" Klein asked back, eyes fluttering in disbelief.

"Yeah… I just wanted her to use something that puts her at an advantage, from a sense of surprising her opponents," the lad shrugged. "And to think that she _mastered_ it already… No doubt, kid's got a whole lot of potential."

"Wow. When you say it like that, I can't help but feel like a little kid," the samurai teased, his friend pursing his lips in slight chagrin.

"I'm not old, you know…" He muttered, perking up to watch the battle scene once more.

"You're pretty good, for a young child!" Strea yelled, dealing four arcs at Yui, of which the latter brought up her blade to block the attack.

"And you as well!" Yui smiled back, gesture gone as she swiped her blade across the ground, hitting nothing but bare dirt. Her eyes narrowed, she slashed upwards, hitting Strea at her sword. "Hrgh!"

"Uh-oh..!" Seeing herself somehow about to be beaten, the lavender-haired swords-woman rushed out of the way, just stopping to take a look back—

*Clang!*

Only for her blade to meet its opponent… But no Yui!

"Whoa!" Unable to believe his eyes, Agil stood transfixed on the spot, as he watched 'Rebellion' rotate in a powerful spin, dealing cut after cut at Strea's sword—the lavender-haired girl huffing once from the pressure, before it finally returned to Yui, the latter rushing in once more to attack. "What was that?"

"Another technique I created for Yui, called the 'Round Trip'. Yui tosses the blade at an angle that ensures that it spins, able to deal repetitive damage on the target," he explained once more, picking his ear with his left pinky. "It stays that way until a set amount of time, before it finally returns to the wielder. Pretty useful if she needs to trap her enemies."

"Man… How are you able to come up with these sort of things..?" Klein sighed, somehow feeling defeated at the fact that his friend's daughter possesses _more_ skills than him—if so, he wondered just how many secrets his friend hid in his sleeve.

"I don't know!" The lad cheekily replied, waving his left arm in the air as he cupped his free hand around his mouth. "You girls can do it!"

Both nodding in response, they clashed blades once more, striking wholeheartedly in order to get the upper leg. His daughter seemed definitely well in terms of strength and speed, but his friend was surprisingly doing well in dodging each attack.

More swings, more thrusts, more strikes and lunges, and Adam found himself possessing the necessary results.

'But I want to see the ending,' he told himself, stopping himself from calling the girls off in the process, and leaning back against the tree.

And with more rush strikes, valiant slashes, tree-cutting arcs, and plentiful of bouncing their weapons off of each other—

They backed away.

*Krrh!* *Pwoo!*

"Haa!"  
"Hyeah!"

Blades powered, and they lunged themselves forward.

*Kng!*

The sound of blade meeting armour made itself present very loudly in the air, and everyone stood on the edge of their toes. Who won?

Who else? Other than…

*Thud!*

"Yay!" Yui began celebrating her victory, pausing in a moment to realise that her opponent was now face-first in the ground. Regaining her common sense, the girl pulled her opponent off the ground, thanking the older one for the battle.

"No problem," Strea smiled in response, tired and physically drained, but happy nonetheless. Yes, she lost, but she enjoyed every single minute of it all.

"You girls did great," Adam's voice cut the silent air, corners of his lips tugged upwards into a happy arc. "And Yui! Congratulations!"

"Thank you, papa!" She beamed at his words, smiling widely to reflect her own happiness.

*Pah!*

"And thanks for fighting with my daughter," he spoke once more to Strea, placing his hand atop her head with a smile—the girl blushing hard enough that made her face hot. "Thank you. Really."

"O-Of course!" The usual display of bashfulness, and Adam found himself laughing at the girl's reaction.

"Well, it's time we get going," he sighed, pulling away his hand and looking to the sky. "Wish we could've stayed a bit longer, but seems to me that things are about to happen soon enough."

"Things are about to—What do you mean?" She asked, mind unable to comprehend his words.

"I don't know… But we'll be going back nonetheless," he smiled.

"You sure you don't want to stay over?" She asked, hoping that he'd say no. And much to her disappointment, it seems that she'd have to pull out a last resort upon receiving a 'No' from the lad. "There's some cookies left."

"Ooh, cookies!" Mind already swirling at the picture of said treat, his previous thought of leaving was instantly banished, replaced now with a little hunger.

'He sure is the same person as ever…' Strea happily sighed, slight titters escaping her at the sight of the same lad she fell in love with started eating away at his samurai friend's bread, much to the latter's chagrin.

* * *

That Night

"Well, thanks for walking me home," the lad bowed, the strawberry blonde smiling slightly before a heavy sigh was expelled from her. Catching notice of this, he stood up once more, face expressing mild confusion. "What's up?"

"Oh, it's just…" She paused, looking up to the wide stretch of black above them, which was dressed in multiple dots of white. "Sometimes, I feel as if I'm losing to you."

"What? That's preposterous!" He snapped, taking hold of his lover's shoulders in the process. "Asuna, you've done things that even I thought was impossible! Look, I don't know what made you think that way, but you're always cool and awesome!"

"A-Ah, right…" She weakly chuckled, dropping her gaze to the lad's feet. "It's just… When I saw Yui fighting just the other day, I wondered… If you're stronger than her, and she's stronger than me, just how good am I?"

"You're an amazing person, Asuna," he answered, too easily in fact, that it instantly got the lass's attention. "I mean, it doesn't _just_ limit to fighting, after all. You're so good at cooking, always around to give the words of motivation, to look after Yui, and everyone… and me! Can't you see that?"

Simple words that struck her heart, and she instantly tossed herself at him for a kiss, long and extended that poured warmth into their bodies, negating the cold breath of the air, before she pulled back with a smack.

"Thank you…" She whispered softly, bright smile the last thing he saw, before she finally disappeared into a blur, running away from him to get back home.

"…I," he blinked a few times, finally sighing as he looked up to the sky. "Jeez… You'd think love is easy."

* * *

Two Weeks Later

Everything was becoming even more peaceful. Of course, work back at the guild wasn't necessarily easy, but Heathcliff was more than okay to give constant breaks for the swordsman and rapier wielder.

And of course, taking breaks from the constant fights was something very much enjoyable; for one, he'd be able to spend more time with his daughter, something that was very much appreciated. And two, it meant that he'd be able to gain some time training and perfecting his arts.

All of which have already been perfected.

And it meant that he was able to spend more time with his friends—he's been in fishing competitions with the samurai, training with his first lover and her guild, learning how to sew with the dragon tamer, make even more new weapons and tools that took his blacksmith lover by surprise, been on merchanting rounds with his mercenary friends, male and female both, and finally watching how his purple-haired lover was at controlling the guild.

"So Adam," his first lover's voice brought him out of his thoughts, of which he instantly snapped his head forwards. "I have a little question, and I hope that you won't get mad or anything, alright?"

"Okay…" Much as he'd love to brush this off as some sort of gag or jest, the uncertain tone that she had adopted forced him to reconsider, ultimately bringing up a little sensation of confusion from the darkest corner of his mind—yes, it has no corners, but just deal with it for now. "What's up?"

"Alright…" She cleared her throat, and—for the first time ever—had pulled up a serious expression, something she had never done before. "Adam, have you ever considered getting married?"

Yeah, no way he's gonna' take it nicely.

"You, _what_?!" He roared, eyes bulging out of their sockets.

See?

"I know it sounds rather strange, but this was just a little thought that came to mind a few months ago," she hummed, expression softening by quite a bit. "Of course, I was the one that persuaded you into taking multiple lovers, but… Then, it hit me. You have a daughter."

"Y-Yeah, so..?" His voice was weak, him so on edge right now, he could barely feel the chair he was sitting on; it was as if his receptors were failing him right now, or that his brain was too focused on her words it ignored the task of giving him the feeling of the chair.

"So, I was thinking that you should find yourself a wife," she suggested. "Yui is a strong girl, no doubt. But haven't you ever thought of finding her a mother?"

At her words, all sense of franticness dissipated just as quick. She wasn't wrong, he had been thinking about it since he and his daughter met too. And from what he does know, is that somewhere in the little girl's heart, amongst the bigger hopes and doubts and questions and emotions, lay one single wish.

To have a mother.

"I-I do, but…" Searching his words was tough, seeing that he was literally talking to his first. "Sometimes, I feel as if she has a lot of mothers already. But why doesn't she call you and everyone else 'mama'?"

"Because I told her not to," Sachi answered, earning herself a gawk from the lad. "I know it sounds bizarre, but wouldn't you find it strange if she possessed more than one mother? It makes no sense…"

"That's not true!" He snapped, instantly regretting it when he saw the look of surprise on her face. "I'm sorry… It's just… All of you are equally her mother, no matter what. I love all of you, so why can't we all be a family?"

"It's because the world wouldn't find it normal," she replied, frowning a moment later. "I love you, Adam. All of us do. But we don't want the people to look at you like you're not one of them. We want them to accept you, as one of them."

The soft feeling of her hand against his siphoned all feelings of anxiety away from him. God, what should he do? He loved all of them! But what with all of them saying things like this, what could he possibly do? If things were fine, he'd marry all of them! But then, what now?

…She said she wanted the people in the real world to accept him, but how could they do so if he wouldn't even be there?

"So I have a suggestion that could make all these problems go away," she spoke, instantly catching his attention and filling slight hope. "The person you should choose… is Asuna."

"…Wait, what?" He blinked, unable to get the gist of things. "Wait, Asuna? Why not _you_?"

"Because both you, plus Yui, share a bond that seems tighter than the ones you possess with any of us," she explained, sounding like some sort of wise sage or something. "I've seen the way you fight… Unlike with us, you're able to manoeuvre so well, it makes me feel as if I can trust her to keep you safe."

"And what of the others?" He asked. Sure, this was her decision, but what would the other girls say?

"The _others_ say that they're alright with the decision," a new voice entered the fray. Perking up, the lad turned to the source of the voice, now seeing his other loves standing at the entrance. "Hey."

"G-Girls?" He stood up, face contorted into a confused expression. "All of you are fine with this?"

"I'm okay with it," Silica nodded, little smile on her face as sweet as it always was.

*Krraaa!*

"Pina agrees with it too!" The dragon tamer added as her pet dragon gave a cute growl.

"And I feel as if it's the right decision," Argo nodded, coy smile on her face that made it seem as if some sort of lecherous thought was in mind. "Plus, I don't have the experience of raising a kid. You and Asuna make a pretty good pair in my book."

"Plus, rumours about you and Asuna's relationship have been circulating around the floors for quite a while now," Yolko added, all eyes on her just as quick as she were to flinch from suddenly becoming the centre of attraction. "What? You didn't know?"

"Oh, for God's sake…" He sighed, rubbing his face lazily. "This can't be happening…"

"Oh yes it will… And for that," Lisbeth pulled out her HUD, sending a sort of message to the lad, and giggling when his eyes widened with shock. "We're setting up a marriage for you, lover boy!"

"W-W-What the?!" And everything was hell on earth for him, even when his lovers' giggles filled the room, even when Yui came down from their room with a confused expression, even when Agil and Klein entered the house from the back door, joining in with their own laughter.

Yup. Life was going to get even more hectic than it already was.

* * *

The Next Day

God… It was hard enough to think about the marriage bit. But to be watching Asuna training Yui right now seemed even more harder than it's supposed to be.

Which was supposed to take literally zero amount of energy.

See, life has a way to screw you up, sometimes. Adam swore, he felt like he was being pranked right now. But this time, this prank would certainly lead to a new leash on life.

"Make sure that your stance is proper, alright?" He heard Asuna's words of advice, responded with a hearty roger from his daughter.

'Well, at least they're not coming my way…' He mentally sighed. It was the last thing he needed.

After getting past that huge shocker, it seems that players around the game, and NPC's he had befriended or met briefly, were all going to attend his wonderful wedding. Of course, marriage in-game was just as easy as sending an invitation to another player, but…

 _'Let's make this the best wedding in a game ever!'_

Lisbeth's words still rung clearly in his head, and he found himself unable to hold back a sigh. Sure, he would have loved this, but this was _way_ too early.

And surely enough, he was all the more shocked by how no one could fully get a grasp on their current situation. Yes, they were lovers, but were they definitely sure?

There wasn't any passionate tryst in the background—just as he's had with his other lovers, and there was certainly no romantic engagements out in public, so people could only depend on the ability of assumption.

Luckily enough, Argo was much of a sweetheart to not let anyone know, but he decided against doing that with her, considering that he's already done it with her before. Of course, deciding to tease her a bit, he decided to use that little reward she was supposed to have, and rather give it to Silica and Lisbeth. But in the end, she joined in that one night, pouting clearly before she stormed into the bed with him, ultimately gaining herself what she came for.

Ultimately though, nothing else really changed. But he never told her. He never told Asuna of…

'The time will come soon,' he told himself, putting in a mental nod to add to the effect. 'She deserves to know. And if she chooses to leave me, so be it. She is under no obligation to stick to me forever.'

But even then, that thought of her leaving him forever sounded much too frightening. It brought up a strange welling of pressure deep down in his stomach, and it was steadily growing. So much so…

"I've got to go..!" He found himself going to the bathroom a moment later, much to his daughter's and soon-to-be wife's confusion, before they continued their training once more.

* * *

Two Days Later—Floor 48—Lindas

"A pleasure to meet you! I'm Ashley, the tailor around these parts," a woman introduced herself, the makeup a bit too dazzling for the lad.

"As I've heard," the lad weakly nodded in response.

When it came to who was the best tailor there is in 'SAO', no doubt Ashley's name would come out of anyone's mouths first. In the northern section of Lindas was where here shop was located, and it was pretty impressive; possessing two water wheels, and being three times the size of Lisbeth's smithing shop, it made Adam wonder just how much it costed in the end.

But being a popular tailor, the lad found himself rather confused at her policy, of which she would only take custom jobs of interest, and that she would only use the rarest materials.

This didn't prove a problem, since he knew the layouts of the map just at the back of his head. And with that, he'd be able to find the materials he needed to find just about anywhere.

Looking at a tag that had a name of a material, he pulled off the same trick; right eye turning blue with a gear rotating in front of it. And a moment later, a view of the monster came into his mind, and he smiled happily. In case of anything, he'd now know where to find the item.

"So, I heard that you're about to get married?" Ashley's coy voice instantly sent a train against the lad's head, the latter entering a sputtering mess. "Oh, don't worry. Your wife-to-be doesn't know about it yet."

"G-Good. She doesn't need to," he sighed, bright red on his face unwilling to admit his slight anger. "I-In any case, I uh… My friend, Lisbeth—"

"Oh, yes. I know what's going to happen," the tailor chuckled. "I've already got down the gist of how the clothes are going to look like, and dare I say you would look absolutely dashing in them…"

"Gee… Thanks, I guess," he gulped, unknowing what to say in this current situation.

"Of course, considering that I have a week before your wedding day comes, I can undoubtedly get it done by then," she nodded. "But I'll need you to fetch me the ingredients."

"Okay, can you send me a list of the items?" He requested, a message screen coming up to him a moment later. A while of skimming through, and his eyebrows cocked upwards. "Oh. I already have these items at hand."

"Ah, splendid! Well, what are you waiting for? Come and hand them to me, I'll do the rest," she clasped her hands together, slightly hasty despite her supposed 'patience'.

Nodding without a word, he pulled out an HUD, and sent all the items to her. Saying her thanks, it didn't take much to realise that she was already in her room, instantly getting to work on her latest order. No doubt was the world going to love this.

'She definitely is diligent,' he whistled, smiling as he made his way out.

The dress and outfit… They were going to be perfect. Hopefully. Probably… Yeah, they'll be cool. No doubt.

* * *

The Next Day

"Oh God… I have six more days, and I still don't know if she even likes me that much!" He groaned, despite knowing the answer already.

Even with all the kisses that they've shared, even with all the honesty that they've given to each other—of which Adam decided that she'd know the final one on the day before the marriage, just to give her a little fairness.

He loved her too much to hurt her.

"Hey Adam!" Speak of the devil.

"H-Hey, Asuna!" He quickly replied, hoping to play it cool. "So, how did things fare?"

"Oh, just well! Yui's really good with those skills you taught her, and I've even been trying to use 'Stinger'," she informed, thoughts broken by his blow of a raspberry.

"It won't work. The skill 'Stinger' only works with a sword. What you're using," he gestured to the weapon that hung on her waist. "Is a rapier. It's like how you're unable to use 'Rage Spike', since you're not a sword-wielder."

"Oh… That makes sense," she hummed, taking a seat beside him, almost setting off his alarms. "So, when did you make those skills?"

"Well…" He scratched his cheek, uncertain if he were fully comfortable to expose this little secret. But seeing that curious look on her face broke down all his walls with a groan from him. "Alright, alright… It's just… It started when I first crafted 'Rebellion'. And when I presented it to Yui, I wanted her to be unique, to be well-known by the other players and people. As such, I invented these new skills to give her a sort of light."

"Really? I thought you got some sort of info from Argo or something," she hummed, earning herself a chuckle from the lad.

"Yeah, well… I didn't want to rely on anyone, so I thought of doing this on my own. As such, I devised these skills so that they could as well be Yui's very own 'Personal Skills'," he ended with a sigh. "In any case, I'd like to hear your opinion next. Go."

"W-What? Me?" She pointed to herself, Adam nodding a moment later. "O-Okay. Well, all in all, they're very powerful. The one I think is the strongest is the 'Round Trip'. No doubt, that skill has been giving me a hard time."

"Yeah, but don't worry! Only Yui will be the person to ever wield said skill!" He nodded in a reassuring way, confusing the lass.

"But what about you?" She asked, instantly dispelling the previous chirpiness that the lad had on him. "You created the skill. Why don't you wield it?"

"Because I'm a duel-wielder," he shrugged. "Plus, I don't want Yui to be using the same skills as everyone else. I want her to be her own swords-woman, to have her own strength. As such, I'm making sure that only she will be using those skills."

"Wow…" She breathed out loud, smiling widely before a giggle escaped her. "You really love Yui, don't you?"

"Why shouldn't I? She's my daughter after all," he smiled back, looking through a window and spotting Yui trading fake blows with a mannequin. "She will always be that way, no matter what."

* * *

Five Days Later—Floor 61—Selmburg

"It's time," he exhaled, feeling the inside of his gut slightly twisted up. "Come on, I need _bravery_ … Not _uncertainty_!" He pouted at his own weakness, sighing a moment later when he realised the feeling never disappeared.

He wasn't just unsure. He was _terrified_. And why wouldn't he? Exposing everything that he's done so far to Asuna—of his romantic rendezvouses with the other girls behind her back… God, could he really do this? He was scared of shattering the trust he and Asuna had developed over the years. Damn it if they couldn't stay together, fine! But if and her could no longer stay as friends…

'Man, why couldn't things be a little more easier..?' He mentally sighed, the needles in his gut pinning every wall there was in there as much as they could. Even if he were to beg now, there was nothing he could do at all. If things were going to happen, they would happen.

And once it _does_ happen, no action or magic is going to get him out of this pickle.

But putting all that aside, wasn't he already prepared for this? He had spent the past five days mentally preparing himself for the upcoming challenge—possibly his biggest one yet. He was shaken, worried, all other emotions that was synonymous with fear and the like.

And right now, he felt so ready to crack. The pressure was just too much on his little shoulders.

But, even at this moment, Asuna was waiting for him, unknowing of any of his past sins—all of which every other girls say otherwise. And he was the one that asked her to wait for him. This would be his final chance to say everything. To show his true colours, and to make things right.

To give her the truth.

"Okay, Adam… You can do this," he slapped his cheeks twice, in hopes that that little action could at least dispel his growing fear. Unfortunately, he was just as shaky as ever, if not even more than before.

*Creak.*

And turning the doorknob open, he walked into Asuna's home, the latter flashing a sweet smile at the sight of him.

"Adam, how are you?" She inquired, ever the polite lass she always is.

"U-Uh, fine. Good," he nodded back, weakly if he might add. She noticed the slight hesitation, and worry instantly washed over her.

"Are you sure? You seem to be having trouble with something," she noted, the lad mumbling something that sounded like a string of mess that she couldn't understand. "What?"

"Listen, I… There's a lot of things I need to tell you, and they're going to take a lot, I mean a _lot_ of willpower out of me," he briefly explained as he took a chair and sat beside her, pained features seemingly worrying his friend even more.

And then, after a minute of regaining his composure, after all the breathing ins and outs, of putting every words onto his tongue, of putting every consideration into mind, after weighing the boons and banes, he began.

He explained how everyone had planned for their marriage—that came as a huge shocker for the lass, indicated by the heavy blush that adorned her features and the gawking that came with the previous one. No doubt, it took him a while to calm her down, but it was indeed a heavy task all on its own.

And the next part came along, of what he had done behind her back. He explained of the interactions he had with the other girls, every time feeling his heart break into fragments each time he sees her eyes widen with hurt.

God, it felt horrible… He was already expecting all these reactions, but he wasn't expecting it to hurt this much. Truly, he felt like crap, for taking her faith in him and monopolizing it, all for the sake of keeping his sins locked away from her heart.

He remembered vividly, of course, how it was like in the battlefield; how he held up his arm to protect himself from a sword slash, how he rushed into the fray and used his own body as a shield for somebody else, how he braved the flames from a dragon with just his might and will, and how he barely escaped death at times—a lie he is unaware of himself.

Those times was incomparable to right now. This stung _even more_.

"So… This is all that I have to say," he finally ended, looking to the little clock on the wall to see that two hours have gone by. "I know… First, the marriage. And now, you're being asked to marry a worthless person like me… So that's why, I have a proposal for you."

"We'll cut it off," he spoke, instantly snapping her attention to him, as her orbs widened to display all sense of shock and disbelief. "I know, I know. What with all the Cor we've spent, it'll definitely disappoint the people. But they'll understand."

He stood, keeping his gaze away from her, just so that he wouldn't need to burden himself with the picture of her sorrowful expression from being embedded into his mind.

"I'm… sorry, for using you all this time," he muttered, not even bothering to turn back to look at her one last time as he made his way towards the door. "If you want to hate me, I won't mind. Besides, it was going to end that way sooner or later."

"See ya'," the last words that left his lips in the form of a whisper.

*Creak.* *Click.*

Before his absence was made known to the entire house.

* * *

The Next Day—Floor 22—Coral Village

"You… what?!" The lad knew no one in particular was going to take the news lightly, but even he wasn't expecting Lisbeth to have taken it like a freight train that rammed into her. "Why?!"

"Because it wouldn't be fair anyways," he sighed, feeling a long forgotten feeling that he thought would have long been washed away with his redemption.

Guilt.

The wedding day is supposed to be taking place here, on the twenty-second floor in the village called 'Coral'. It was a beautiful floor, populating only a minor few. With trees and lakes being the main occupants of the floor, it wasn't difficult to say that it could as well be a rival to floor forty-seven, where 'Floria' is situated at.

Deciding that it was the best place ever, Adam had long gotten his wedding day booked here, of which almost everyone were more than excited to watch unfold. And of course, on that day, he had sworn ultimate peace between all factions, so it came as a huge shock to the people when the player-killing guild 'Laughing Coffin' showed up.

Even so, only their leader, who went by the name PoH, came, with an ex-member joining along. Based on what he heard from Argo, the girl was forced to take up arms as a 'Laughing Coffin' member, after they saved her from a group of monsters in a dungeon back on the thirty-second floor.

But putting it all aside, Adam had just about three more hours before the ceremony would begin, and he'd have to face God-knows-how-many people out there, and break to them the news.

"You can't seriously be thinking of telling them that! Everything… It'd be like a war!" Klein cried out, his black-cladded frowning in response.

"I know… But there's nothing I can do. I was honest with her, so why should I keep it secret from the others?" His question was more of a statement, and it made sense. There was no way he could just lie to the people; they'd find out one way or another.

"So… We'll do what we can now," Agil suggested, all attention now turned to him. "Maybe this ceremony is already a failure. But it doesn't mean we can't act like it isn't."

"So what do I do now? Dress up in a tuxedo and go out there with a smile?" He sarcastically asked back, the larger man responding with his own grin.

"Absolutely," he nodded, instantly setting his younger friend's jaw apart into a large gape. "Klein, go and get Adam dressed up."

"You got it!" The samurai nodded back in full enthusiasm, not giving his friend the time to respond, as he took him by the arm and started dragging him off. "Oh, you're gonna' love the new look!"

"W-Wait! This isn't what I signed up for..!" His voice trailed off as his figure left the room, everyone nervously chuckling at his little antics.

"Alright, everyone! We've got a job to do! You know your roles," Agil assumed command, clapping his hands twice to set in the determination in everyone. "Let's get to it!"

"Right!" Everyone else responded in unison, rushing away to get to their stations.

'Hopefully, everything goes well,' mind wishing desperately that nothing would go south, Agil huffed, before he left the room they were in, and made way to get everything else prepared.

* * *

Meanwhile—Floor 61—Selmburg

 _'We'll cut it off.'_

 _'Sorry, for using you all this time.' '_

 _If you want to hate me, I won't mind.'_

What to do? Those three words stuck with her the most, and Asuna found herself uncertain, for the first time since she's been here.

…Okay, that's a huge exaggeration, but does it really matter?

'What do I do?' She asked herself, taking a look at the clock. There was three more hours before their wedding ceremony would commence, and she found her heart beginning to wither, somber. 'What would Adam do?'

No doubt, he'd probably try to face the problem head-on, always thinking of a way to solve it in the process. That little thought gave her the chance for a slow chuckle; it definitely sounded like him.

And she envied him.

While she was thinking of what to do, he was already doing things. While she was thinking of their relationship, he had been trying to fix it. While she was busy thinking about what he said, he was busy getting himself ready to say the same things to the people.

Yeah… That definitely sounds like him.

And can she really hate him for that? No doubt, she had always suspected something going on between him and Sachi, but never had she thought he'd be in a relationship with five girls—six if she counted herself in it.

And what's more, was how he admitted of having sex with the other girls, a confession that definitely must have taken a lot out of him.

And if he had the bravery for it, why can't she?

And so, with the picture of his smile deep in her heart and mind, and with her own joining her features a moment later, as she finally rose from her couch and took steps towards her house's door, she already knew what to do.

She knew what she wanted.

* * *

Later—Floor 22—Coral Village

"Wow… I knew Ashley was an awesome tailor," he spoke in soft breaths, eyes trailing his body as he looked at his reflection in the mirror. "But I didn't know she was this good..!"

"Haha, yeah! Trust me, you look dashing as hell!" Klein reassured him, proud smile that shone radiant as ever.

As of currently, our protagonist is suited up in a tuxedo, with the tuxedo possessing satin which was facing on the lapels, buttons and pocket trim. The cummerbund he wore definitely fit together with his little outfit, and the satin side stripe that ran down the leg of his trousers was more than appealing to the eyes.

Now, the only problem he had was the position of his bowtie, which was already perfect… Until he started shifting it around. Luckily, Klein managed to correct its position once more, and all problems were solved.

"Well, maybe Asuna won't be here, but we'll be here behind you all the way," the samurai reassured him, a good smile to add to his calming effect.

"Thanks, mate. I wouldn't know what to do if you weren't here," Adam smiled back, exchanging a friendly fist bump with his samurai of a friend.

"Hey, what are friends for?" He grinned back, a gesture the lad was more than happy to mirror.

*Knock!* *Knock!*

"Come on out, lover boy! Your time to shine is here," the lad in question heard Lisbeth's teasing voice from the other side, him sighing in slight nervousness.

"Well, no time like the present," he told himself, looking one last time at Klein. "And what about you? Not wearing anything?"

"Oh, don't worry. I'll be wearing what I've got now. It'll be fine. Now go!" Klein slightly gave a little push on the lad's shoulder, the latter nodding in understanding.

And walking to the door, he took one last breath, before he twisted the knob open, stepping out of his room, and with Lisbeth and Silica's figures coming into view.

"Whoa… You look good…" The blacksmith whispered, face as brightly lit as the shade of her hair. Her friend nodded in agreement.

"Yeah! You look like a real gentleman, Adam," Silica spoke, drawing out an uneasy sigh from him. "What's wrong?"

"I just hope that I could at least look normal, from the sense of body movement and behaviour," he answered slowly. "I feel like I'm about to pass out from the pressure…"

"Pshaw! You'll do fine!" Lisbeth finally spoke, after a while of breaking out of her reverie. "Come on, this is your big day! Let's make this a day to remember."

"Yeah… Yeah, let's do it!" He nodded in agreement, smiling widely as he allowed his lovers to take him by his hands, mind drifting off to a different topic. 'I wonder what flavour the cake would be…'

* * *

And the day passed like that, with Adam either engaging a conversation with the other players or NPC's, or usually going around to taste the food and drinks.

No doubt, he was having fun. He had played a few games with some of the kids here and there—regretting it as he felt his spine twist and pop—and even took part in a fishing competition. In the end, he was second to Nishida, another player who was an expert in the arts of fishing.

Yui came third, surprising most of the people as she managed to nab herself ten salmon. No doubt, they'd have to have a fish barbecue after this.

But putting aside all the funs and smiles and sweets and rainbow—there was actually a rainbow just earlier, and it seemed that Yui had fun looking at it—he realised just how guilty he felt.

Not only had he tricked Asuna into falling in love with him, but he had also played with her love, an act he couldn't forgive himself for. Sure, the other girls were accepting of it, but he felt that Asuna would think otherwise.

She was indeed one of the most amazing people he had met in this world. And toying with her emotions, her love of all things, sounded rather cruel.

And if ending their relationship meant returning all the joy she would have probably thought she had as she spent time with him, then he was more than up for it.

But right now, all he had was half an hour more, and the ceremony would begin. In conjunction to this ceremony, the lad had decided to have a house prepared for them, of which the ceremony would be held there, just outside.

It would have been his, Asuna's and Yui's house—as a family, but judging by her absence, no doubt it was going to be anything but that.

But he lacked the heart to tear it down. It looked so nice… Maybe donate to someone, maybe?

"Papa, I keep hearing people talking about something that's happening thirty minutes from now," she informed him, looking to him with eyes of innocence. "What's happening?"

"Oh, well… It's just a little ceremony, to celebrate something," he half-lied, hoping not to let her know about the marriage part. "I don't know what, but it definitely is about something."

"Oh, I see. Alright!" She nodded happily, before she perked up at the voices of other kids, presumably calling for her.

"Go on," he told her, and she was more than happy to oblige, as she ran towards where the other children were. He sighed, happy to see her daughter enjoying herself.

…Thirty minutes more, and he was so going to get screwed.

"You seem troubled," an eerily familiar voice spoke, pulling Adam out of his thoughts. "Any problem on your mind?"

"Well, nothing that you should be worried about," the lad began, turning around to face the one who was talking to him. "PoH."

"Ah, but you are troubled," the 'Laughing Coffin' leader chuckled, eyes displaying no signs of danger. "Go on, tell me."

"I cheated on my soon-to-be wife, Asuna, with all the other girls. I told her that if she doesn't want to get married, then she doesn't have to come," he answered without a trace of hesitation, sad look on his face when his words finally left his tongue.

"Really? Then you're wrong about it all," PoH chuckled, the lad confused at his words. "You call it 'cheating', but we call it 'having a harem'. You think she wouldn't come? Hah. If so, then I wouldn't be here."

"What do you mean?" Adam asked, feeling the man's hand making contact with his shoulder.

"I mean to say that there was no way I was going to be here if nothing was going to happen," he shrugged, little grin on his face growing as he retracted his arm, walking away. "I know a lot of things, one of them being that she will come. Have patience."

"Yeah… I wonder," the lad sweat-dropped, feeling as if he'd get played if he trusted PoH's words.

But then, there was nothing that could be done. She didn't come, and she wouldn't. Not in a hundred years.

* * *

Twenty-nine Minutes Later

"Well… Time's already up, lad," Agil spoke, little sad smile on his face that expressed pity. "What will you do now?"

"Do what I planned to do, tell them the truth," Adam sighed, flashing a confident grin that only dispelled a little bit of fear in his gut. "Don't worry, everything will go just fine."

"And by just fine, you mean horrendously out of your expectations," Argo teased, everyone laughing as he groaned in response.

"I swear… I know what's going to happen. She's not coming, and I'm going to get my butt kicked by everyone here," he huffed, making way to the front of his house. "Yui, come with me, please?"

"Right, papa!" Loyal daughter she is, she followed him, dressed in the same white gown she wore the day she met him.

Walking to the front part of his house, Adam wasn't prepared for the massive amount of people, seeing new and old faces amongst the crowd. Everyone wore shining colours, and even his friends had changed into something to match the occasion—except Klein and his friends, just as he said he would.

"Well… I know that all of you are waiting for the wedding to commence," he sighed, able to picture their disappointed looks just about now. "But there is something I need to tell you."

This was it. The time to give the truth is nigh. Sure, everything would probably go south the moment his words left his lips, but he didn't care. He needed things to be crystal-clear between everyone, and the truth was what they were going to get.

"Everyone… Asuna is—"  
"Wait!"

Breath hitched in his throat, eyes outspreaded with disbelief, mouth agape into a wide hole with slow breaths making their way out of it… Slowly turning his head towards the source of the voice, his heart stopped.

She was here… She was actually here, panting from the running probably. What was she doing here?! He thought she wasn't going to come at all!

But putting the fact that she came aside, the next thing that disabled his ability to even think…

God, she was beautiful.

She was adorned in a beautiful white gown, decorated with yellow roses on the cloth, with one line of it shaped in a circumference below her waist, fitting as it displayed her beautiful figure. The silk gloves she wore stretched all the way to her elbow, translucent enough to show a fair amount of peach skin. And everything else; the veil that ran down from the crown of her head all the way to the back of her shoulders, the same-coloured shoes that possessed a heel to up her height—she was just so beautiful…

"W-Whoa…" Lacking any other response, he found himself blinking like an idiot at the sight of her. But luckily enough, he wasn't the only one; considering that everyone else were busy staring at her in awe, or probably busy etching a picture of her into their mind.

"Sorry I was late…" She apologised, bowing once to her husband-to-be, the latter still transfixed to his spot.

"But why… I thought you…" This was too much for his brain. So much so, it was on emergency lock-down.

"I know… What you said, maybe it hurt. But it doesn't now," she shook her head, walking to him as she held a bouquet of similarly golden roses, her smile so pretty he almost felt like he was looking at an angel. "Because I know what my heart wants."

And stepping up so that she was now in front of him, with her own blush that burned her face as she looked into his eyes that displayed ecstasy and little bits of confusion that began to die down, only now did he realise that this was happening.

"Allow me the honours," PoH volunteered as he stepped up to the front, standing so that the couple were directly in front of him and facing each other.

"Wait, _you're_ going to play priest here?" Adam nervously asked, eyebrow raised in surprise. He only received a chuckle from the man.

"I am many things, young lad. Plus, what did I tell you? She came in the end," he chuckled, the lad sweat-dropping at the man's last words.

"Never thought he'd be the one to initiate the vows," Heathcliff chuckled, arms crossed as he watched the ceremony. "Things really do change, sometimes."

"Lady Asuna," PoH began, tone that held much professionalism that surprised the people. "Do you take Adam, the 'Black Swordsman', who has supposedly _cheated_ on you," all eyes turned to the 'Laughing Coffin' leader just as quick, the couple shuddering in response. "Who has fought with you, who has cried for you, who has loved you all the same, to be your husband?"

"Y-Yes," she managed to say after she broke from her moment of surprise at the man's words. Her eyes, now softening, looked into her lover's once more, and a smile popped up to enhance her beauty. "I do."

"And Sir Adam, do you take Lady Asuna, the 'Lightning Flash', who has always written about you in her diary," at his words, the lass in question blushed a furious storm, her lover gawking at the 'Laughing Coffin' leader's words. "Who has always thought about your wellbeing, who never left your side, who cried when she hurt you, to be your wife?"

"Yes!" Adam answered just as quick, his face burning with just the same amount of nervousness Asuna had in her heart. "Without doubt!"

"Well, that does that," PoH grinned, taking a step behind to allow the newlyweds to adorn the other's finger with a ring—Adam's being a proud midnight black with little blue gems circulating around its edges, and Asuna' being an ornate gold with a single black gem on its pedestal.

And when that was done, they proceeded with the proper way of in-game marriage; with Adam sending a sort of invitation to the lass in front of him, and Asuna accepting it instantly.

"Well, seems like there's no problems here," PoH smirked, crossing his arms as he looked to the couple. "Go on. Kiss the bride."

And the trepidation raised even higher. This wasn't the first time they kissed each other, but doing it in front of the public felt even scarier than anything else.

But even then, they found peace, as they clasped each other's hand, stepping closer so that their breaths met each other, soft smiles that elicited excited whistles from the crowd.

"You came…" Adam whispered, leaning in as slowly as he could to give his new wife the chance to reply.

"Of course I did," she cried, stray tears that formed only so little that displayed so much joy. "I love you after all."

And when rugged lips met plush velvet, for once, it was a happy ending, accompanied with the loudest of cheers from the people. The bells tolled, and birds flew. It was one of the happiest days for the newlyweds, and light shone down on them from the heavens.

* * *

 _For once, and it would always be in the future, things were alright._

 _And of all the happiest things that he would have never could come true, it finally did._

 _For now, he had a family; a daughter and a wife. Never had he thought such joy could have possibly existed, and now… He was at peace._

* * *

A/N: In case any of you were interested, or very much caught the reference... Indeed, I took Asuna's wedding dress look from 'Sword Art Online: Memory Defrag'. If you know how 'Asuna: Promise at that Time' looks like, than this wedding dress is indefinitely based on that look. Just wanted to tell you all!

Oh, and I suppose I've forgotten to address this for _so long_... In case you've noticed it again, the move set Yui has is a direct reference to the move set Dante from 'Devil May Cry' has. Rebellion, her sword, is also the same weapon as he uses, in case you're curious. Damn, I can't believe I forgot to point that out... Sorry guys!


	15. Chapter 14

"Don't let me down!" - Speech

'You look familiar…' - Thoughts

 _"The war was over."_ \- Flashback / Emphasis

*Whoosh!* *Tzzz!*- Sound effects

 **"This isn't good!"** \- Tatl / Tael Speech

 **'How in the world?'** \- Tatl / Tael Thoughts

* * *

'`Chapter 14: Yoake to yūgure'`

 _Japanese for 'Dawn and Dusk'._

 _And it was just what it meant for them; Asuna, who was the light that shone on the darkest corners, bringing back the light and warmth, and Adam, the one who crept through the shadows, bringing in the darkness to keep those he loved safe._

 _Many speculated that the two were not in love, and that one had forcefully shattered the other's heart. Others say that the First AI had chosen to ignore the other's attention, the latter slowly breaking apart as she watched him disappear forever._

 _But all in all, those mere speculations were nothing more than utter illogic. For when the day they took the other's hand, ring around a finger, lips upon lips… They were now together._

 _And a new family was born._

* * *

November 20th 2024, Floor 61—Selmburg

*Tk! Tk! Tk!*

She didn't understand, not one bit. Why was she running?

…Ah, of course. The wedding. _Her_ wedding with Adam is going on, and she doesn't have enough time to boot.

'I don't understand…' She mentally told herself, all feelings of exhaustion dulled by the single thought of him as she pushed her legs and body beyond their limit. 'Why am I not hurt..?'

It would make sense, after all; most people would be pretty upset if they learnt that their lover was cheating on them with someone else behind their backs. But this was a different case, wasn't it?

This is _Adam_ she was thinking about! No doubt, he wasn't even trying to break her feelings all this time. He kept the truth away from her, just so she wouldn't have the burden herself with such pain.

But now, running even faster as her pants began to increase, she found herself able to ignore the pain. Wait, was there even any? Rather than the feeling of a shattered heart, it seems that she was more than excited.

She _wanted_ this.

"But why?" She breathed out, seeing the portal gate off in the distance. "Why don't I hate him? Maybe…"

She didn't know, no matter how much she tried to find the answer. But if the answer didn't come to her in a definite answer, she was more willing to walk through memory lane to find her answers.

And as her body kept on running, her mind retreated back into its safe of memories. And of why she chose him, amongst the others…

* * *

Floor 1

It was the day that the first group of clearers, lead by Diavel, were going to take on the floor boss. Asuna had opted to pairing up with Adam, someone she was acquainted well with.

Right now, she was in the most basic outfit she had ever worn; the same vest and hood of red and simple dress, equipped with a simple rapier. Adam seemed even more prepared than her though; vambraces of steel that went well with his black chest-plate and greaves, blade sheathed on his back.

"Adam," she called out, the lad looking back to her just as quick. "What makes you want to go forwards?"

"Hmm? Forwards you say?" He repeated, closing his eyes in thought, before his lips curled into a smile as he opened them once more. "I guess it's because there are some in this world that aren't going to do it. If so, I guess all I can do is move on for them."

"Really?" She wasn't expecting such answer, so she pushed on. "Then may I ask, has there ever been a time that you feel like giving up?"

"Hmm… Sometimes, but not always," he shrugged. "I mean, no one wants to stay here forever. So if that thought ever crosses my mind, I'll just push it aside. I don't want to just drop down and give up when everyone else is fighting."

"So you'll keep standing back up, even when the situation is dire?" She asked one final time, responded with a hearty nod from the lad.

"Yeah! I may not be a hero, but it definitely sounds awesome to be fighting alongside one!" He laughed, not noticing the envious look she was giving him.

How could he not feel worried, or remotely scared at all? The whisper of fear had spread to all corners of the floors, everyone almost losing hope that they'd escape at all. Asuna could never admit it, but she felt that this battle against the Floor Boss would be nothing more than a transcription to Heaven. Or Hell, depending on whether their deeds or sins weighed more.

But even so, this person… He is still able to smile, despite knowing full well that he may not be there the next day. Why isn't he scared? She didn't know, but she knew one thing.

"Oh, hang on for a while," the lad told her, moving forwards to one of the soldiers, who possessed blond hair. "Hey dude, you alright?"

"N-Not really," the soldier admitted, his bald friend beside him sighing.

"Think about it. We may as well be dead the moment we step foot onto the battlefield," the bald soldier muttered, taken aback by the lad's click of the tongue.

"You shouldn't be thinking so negatively like that, you know," he sighed, a smile popping up onto his features a moment later. "Besides, anything could happen. You living is one of them."

"And how would you know that?" The blonde soldier asked this time, his shoulders slumped down that somehow made him look older than he actually is.

"Because everyone here," he gestured to the others. "Is fighting for the same cause as you guys are. As such, we're going to be protecting each other."

"What if we're not able to protect one another?" The bald soldier, damp expression slightly softening.

"Then someone else will protect that person!" Adam smiled, his answer eliciting a curious look from the other soldiers, whom walked closer to him.

"But what if our weapon breaks?" A red-cladded woman asked, tilting her head in confusion and eyes displaying slight worry.

"Then you run!" He told them, earning him multiple 'Huh?' from everyone. "Think about it, why do humans continue to thrive, despite the multiple challenges that they face?"

"Umm… Because we have technology?" One young-looking cadet offered, nervously if I may add.

"Then you would have been dead long ago, considering that cavemen don't have technology," he retorted, sighing before he grinned once more. "The right answer, is because we're capable of adaptation."

"Adaptation? Why that, of all things?" A certain man with his orange hair looking like a bunch of needles sticking out asked next.

"Because it's true! Think about it. When we enter a new surrounding, our primal instincts instantly kick in, and with the knowledge we have, we're able to adapt to our surroundings! You enter a desert? Find a cactus, since it's got water!"

"But what if you're caught in a burning building?" Another girl asked, her spear held between her hands.

"Then you find a way to avoid the fires!" The lad answered, just as confident as he was before. "And if we apply the method of adaptation in this situation, what would you do?"

"We… run," the same blonde from earlier began, mind beginning to grind its gears.

"And… we get ourselves help?" The bald soldier suggested, rewarded with a clap to his shoulder by the lad.

"Of course! Then what else do we do?" He asked next, everyone instantly turning their attention to a young girl who was jumping.

"We grab ourselves a new weapon!" She chirped, the bad mood slowly beginning to dispel.

"And then we fight!" Another teenager shouted, everyone joining in with their own cheer.

"You're wrong," Adam snapped, everyone instantly turning to face him, face displaying shock and confusion, until the lad replied with a bright smile. "We fight, _together_."

"Y-Yeah, together…" One of the soldiers nodded to himself, eyes slowly widening to match his large smile. "Yeah! We fight together!"

And the group cheered and roared, Adam seemingly joining in with his own cheer that set apart the disastrous mood from earlier. Asuna, whom walked far behind, merely grinned alone.

He was a person of hope.

* * *

Floor 5—Karluin

This time, her memories washed to a different setting; one where she reunited with Adam after he mysteriously disappeared, the latter seemingly choosing not to say anything, as they reached a town on the fifth floor that went by the name Karluin.

It was a town built to imitate the medieval castles, with many ruins covering the southern end of the floor. Whilst most of the town was uninhabited, most of the players and NPC's lived in the centre, using leather and canvas tents as shelter.

Taking note of the town, Asuna realised two things that seemed to make this town stand out a bit more than the other towns.

For one, it possessed a ruined old castle that was littered with various secret passageways on the east end of Karluin. Checking on the guidebook she had gotten the other day, it was told that the castle itself was considered to be part of town, while its basement fell outside the town boundary.

The next thing she noticed, was the large, crumbling ruin north from the town, about fifty metres away from the Teleport Gate plaza. But the most interesting thing about the ruin, was that one could descend a spiralling flight of stairs with exquisite holy statues on either side that acted as an entrance to the catacombs beneath the town. Only the second and third floors were treated as a dungeon, from what she read.

"So do you plan to travel to the catacombs?" Adam asked after a while of sightseeing, hand on his hip while the other gripped his sword's hilt.

"Maybe… I heard that there were strong monsters there," Asuna shrugged, seemingly lost with her next plans.

"And from what I've heard," Adam began, whistling a short tune before returning to his words. "Was that there was a quest that involved a ghost down there."

"…Ghost?" She weakly asked, the lad shrugging in response—surprisingly oblivious to her fear of said being.

"I mean, it _would_ be interesting, if not for the fact that I don't like dark and wet dungeons," he huffed, unable to notice Asuna's own sigh of relief due to their breaths coming out in unison. "But in any case, what do you plan to do?"

"Hmm… Well, I thought we could go and get something to eat," she suggested, looking around for any shops or the like. "Though, it would help if it weren't too crowded."

"Well then, you've come to the right guy!" He nodded, pointing off the south. "When I first came here, I did a little bit of checking, and it turns out, there's this restaurant called 'Blink & Brink' that sells pretty cheap."

"Really?" She asked, earning herself a nod from her companion. "Wow… Sometimes, I get the feeling that you'd do anything, just for food."

"Not true!" He snapped, a little embarrassed as he turned to look away from her. "I just like to eat new things all the time…"

"Yeah, yeah," she rolled her eyes, trying very hard to stifle the laughter that was beginning to well up in her stomach. "How about we just go, alright? You lead the way."

"And lead the way I will!" He nodded, moving forwards with Asuna by his side.

Indeed, the town was just as ghostly as it may lead others to believe. It was much too silent, the only sounds being their own footsteps and the chilly wind that sometimes blew through the air. The people must already be asleep, or probably out of the town to grind or something.

But putting it all aside, she could now see a sort of tavern that stood out with its wooden texture, rather than the stony buildings that built the town. It had a sign hanging above the door, with the same name that left her companion's lips etched onto the hard wood in bright green.

'Well, looks habitable enough,' she reasoned with herself, trying her best to calm that little sense of dread. Her companion looked happy enough, so maybe she could trust him on this one.

*Creak!* *Ching!*

She watched as her companion push the door open, the chimes that hung loosely from the corner of the doorway clanking against each other to make a melodious tone. She hummed, allowing herself to join the lad as he kept the door open.

"Yes, how may we help you?" The waiter, who was dressed fabulously and well equipped with his own moustache, asked as he prepared a notepad.

"Let's see…" Looking to the menu that was laid out on the podium of which the waiter stood behind, the lass's eyes were attracted to a certain dish, one of which she had never seen before. "What's this?"

"Ooh, good choice! It's nasi pattaya, a Southeast Asian fried rice dish. They cover the chicken friend rice in thin fried egg or omelette," the lad explained, a little hum escaping her closed lips a moment later.

"I see," she nodded, thoughtful, until her little index finger came to point on the same picture. "I'd like one of this."

"Very well," the waiter nodded, scribbling notes on his notepad before he looked to the lad. "And what of you, monsieur?"

"Hmm… I think I'll have the same thing," the lad replied, Asuna able to see the waiter adding a cross and a number two beside the name of the dish.

"Very well. Please, find yourself a place to sit," the waiter requested, moving away to get to the kitchen.

Deciding that finding a seat was better than nothing, both Adam and Asuna sat themselves at a table that was closer to the windows. Getting themselves comfortable, they decided to wait.

And things _would_ have gone uneventful, until—

"Get out of here!" Asuna perked up at the heightened and angry voice that came from the kitchen, until a figure came into sight.

She had brown hair, front strands tied up in braids that dropped down to the side. What did surprise the lass, was the outfit she wore; it resembled a bard, what with the large sunhat, silk gown, the leather boots stretching up until it reached above her shin, and the shiny iron harp that lay clipped to her belt.

"W-Wait!" Another person, a male this time, stepped in, positioning himself in front of the girl as he outstretched his arms in a way to defend her.

He was rather small if Asuna had to describe him, equipped with robes of red and white that covered his whole body. Simple chest-plate, greaves and vambraces defined his body parts, with a poor-looking sword sheathed and clipped to his back. If anything, he looked like some sort of swordsman. A rookie, no less.

"You kids again…" The waiter from earlier appeared from the kitchen, a deep sigh escaping him before he scowled. "You have no rights to be here."

"L-Look, it was just that one time!" The male spoke, frantically looking for an exit as he kept his distance from the waiter. "I promise, we—"

"You get _nothing_!" The waiter roared, the male and female whimpering under the harsh tone he adopted. "It's either you leave and never come back, or—"

"Stay here and eat like your other customers?" A new voice penetrated the air, all eyes landing him, wide with surprise. "What? That's what customers do, don't they?"

"But monsieur, these children have absolutely nothing to pay us with! Time and time again, they enter, begging for something to eat, yet do not have the money to buy them with!" The waiter reasoned, sharp glare fixed on the duo.

"Really? Well, then they do now," Adam smiled, pulling two chairs to the table they sit, number clocking at four. "It's on me."

"M-Monsieur!" The waiter gawked. "This isn't fair! I cannot accept such generosity of such a kind, young man towards those who can't even pay for a meal!"

"Well, look on the bright side. At least you'll also get back the money you didn't earn the last time they came," the lad shrugged, calling for the previous two to join them. "Come on, sir. I promise you, I have enough. Will you let them eat?"

"I-I…" Finding himself lacking any other counterarguments, he sighed in defeat. "You lot are lucky that such a good person exists… Well, what would you like?"

"W-What?" The young swordsman turned to the lad, evidence of disbelief written all over his features. "Wait, you don't have to pay!"

"You're right, I don't _have_ to, but I _want_ to," the lass's companion chuckled, flashing a little grin to calm their nerves. "Plus, I really do have a lot of funds on me. It's not like just this big dinner would expunge all the Cor I have."

"Adam, you don't need to use big words you know…" Asuna sighed, a shake of the head expressing her slight embarrassment.

"You're not my mom…" The lad pouted, traces of annoyance gone as he smiled back at the other couple. "Come on, my treat. What say you?"

Blinking in disbelief at the fact that this stranger was offering to pay for their meals, they soon found themselves seated opposite of the lass and her companion, the swordsman opting to go with Penang Laksa and the bard with chicken cordon bleu—both of which were recommended by the black-cladded stranger.

"We can't thank you enough for this…" The swordsman inclined his head downwards, his companion following suite. The only response they got was a chuckle from the lad.

"Oh, come on. We're all players here," he spoke, the briefest hint of a sad smile showing before it was replaced with the previous joy. "We should be looking out for one another. Plus, it's not like the money in this world can be used in the real one."

"Truly, we owe you very much," the bard smiled. "I guess introductions are in order, and—"

"Ooh, I'd like to go first!" The lad chirped, receiving blinking stares from the two others, whom looked to Asuna—she shrugged her shoulders with a nervous grin. "The name's Adam."

"And I'm Asuna. Pleasure to meet you," the lass went next, both bard and swordsman smiling back.

"Good to meet you, Adam, Asuna," the swordsman nodded, wide grin a proof of his youth. "I'm Nautilus by the way."

"And I," the bard placed a delicate hand on her chest. "I am Yuna."

And when the introductions were out of the way, and the dishes came a moment later, the group of four decided to indulge themselves in the meals before them, digging in as they ignored the problems of this game world, if only for a moment.

And Asuna smiled, enjoying the little bits of conversation with each other as she savoured the tastes of her rice, little happy for her companion's generosity, whom was trying out

He was a person of kindness.

* * *

Floor 8—Frieven Village

Known to many as just a floor of nothing more than a wide rainforest, the eight floor also possessed little to not rocky surfaces, with most of the floor being made up of water so deep, one who cannot swim would find no possibility in living once he starts sinking.

Asuna found this village rather interesting, mostly from how they would have to manoeuvre around the floor; either by using narrow trails, branches of the humongous trees that touched against the ninth floor's underside, or the wobbly man-made bridges that can only be accessed after climbing a tree.

And the question of who built these bridges came in the form of the local NPC's, who acted as the villagers of the floor's village, Frieven Village.

At first, the rapier-wielder had opted to engaging her companion in a few friendly conversations, but seeing how entranced he was with the natural beauty all around him, she chose to leave him be.

But she did understand what he felt. The floor was definitely beautiful, having no such modernisations such as brick homes or blacksmiths. The village was so traditional, that it reminded her of the local people of Sabah and Sarawak.

The little children were dressed in simple cloths sewn from the gigantic leaves from the trees, and the adults seemed to possess clothes made from some form of leather. The houses were interesting; built in the thick trunks of each tree, accessible with steps like some sort of treehouse.

Being here, Asuna felt as if all the worries of the world were behind her. The villagers were so nice here, and extremely generous—she had already lost count on how many things she's received from some of the adults here. Sins were almost nonexistent here, and despite its little size, she found herself liking it very much. To her, the village was a utopia all on its own, gifting rest to those that stumble upon this beautiful forest.

"Adam!" A little kid's voice resounded in the air, causing the lass to snap out of her reverie, now able to see a young girl with lemon-coloured hair running towards the black-cladded swordsman. "I heard you came visiting!"

"Y-Yeah, I uhh…" He sheepishly chuckled, scratching the back of his head as he averted his gaze from the child's eyes. "Forgot to say anything. Sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it!" The girl giggled, the lad more than happy to join in with his own laughter.

"You know her?" Asuna piped in. She knew that Adam tended to travel to most floors all by his own, but to think that he's become acquainted with the people was more of a surprise to her all on its own.

"Mmhm. I came here during one of my visits. I forgot when it was, so don't even think of asking me," he shrugged, dropping to his knee and looking at the girl eye-to-eye. "So Oa, where's the village chief? I've got something to discuss with the old man."

"Oh, he's in his house, as usual," she replied, eliciting an understanding hum from the lad. "Ooh, if you're going to go see him, I want to come too!"

"If you say so," he smiled, rising up to his full height once more. He faced his companion, a little grin on his face. "Wanna' come along? It's not too long, but you're more than welcome to join."

"Well, anything than nothing is better in the end, so yeah, I'll join you," the lass nodded, with Adam nodding in response and allowing Oa to lead the way.

As they walked, Asuna noticed just how friendly Adam was with this… Oa. She found the NPC's name rather strange, but chose not to comment on it, as there could always be consequences for every actions. But thinking back, was it really surprising anymore? He had always been so approachable, that it was basically hard to imagine him making enemies.

Unless someone wanted to be enemies with him. If so, then there was nothing that they could do.

Putting aside her thoughts, she only noticed a large hut with a straw roof, two windows and patches of dandelions on either sides of the pathway to the door after a while.

Whilst it may not be anything so fancy, it was somehow pulsating a wave of leadership, and she felt herself small in the presence of such aura. It felt suffocating, yet she found it strange how Adam and Oa managed to walk in without much difficulty.

'If they can do it…' She pulled in air through her nostrils, puffing out her chest as she tried to maintain some form of confidence. 'I can do it too!'

And stepping into the hut, all sense of dread and anticipation were erased—

"Hyeah!"  
"Hoo haa!"

By the sight of the lad somehow being pinned to the floor by a large, wrinkly man with grizzly grey hair and a fuzzy long beard that reached down to . She blinked a few times, unable to understand what was going on.

"You're getting pretty good… for an old man!" Adam's grin grew larger at the sound of the old man huffing, but instantly regretted it as the vice grip around his throat suddenly increased tenfold, forcing his eyes to bulge out before strained grunts started to escape his lips.

"Yeah! Keep saying that, and I'll put you in your place, kid!" The elder snickered, the triumphant smirk on his face immediately extinguished when he felt something metallic hit the back of his skull. Hard.

*Thud!*

"Graha!" The elder clutched his head in pain, wincing as his receptors acted on full alert, giving wave after wave of stinging through his head. "Cheap move, Adam! You said we won't be fighting with weapons..!"

"Uhh… I didn't do that," the lad whistled, still laying down but now hoisted upwards with his elbows. "But she did."

"Who are you…" All manners of curse and swearing were instantly discarded the moment his eyes laid upon a sight to behold.

A girl in red and white outfit, strawberry blond hair, pale skin, shiny brown eyes…

"An angel!" The elder blurted out loud, eyes glinting with much adoration and lust—

*Bang!*

"Ghar!" Before he received a second blow to his head once more, this time a curtesy of the lad.

"Do not look at her like that!" Adam loudly scolded, retracting his fist and lightly massaging it to get rid of the numbing pain that pulsated through it. "Come on, Yagen! I know you've got a drive of lust and all, but keep in your own pants for once!"

"Adam, you're a man too! Scrawny, sure," the comment elicited an annoyed huff from the lad, much to Yagen's expectation. "But still a man no matter what! Plus, you must have had thoughts about doing things with her once too before, haven't you?"

"W-What?! No!" He furiously denied it, face burning up with much embarrassment. "I would never! She deserves to fall in love with whoever she wants! Not be _forced_ into a relationship!"

That struck Asuna right in the chest, to the left side where her heart was located. She gripped her breast, feeling some sort of heat beginning to soar.

His words… Always thinking of others' happiness; it was something that she found rather respectable—attractive, even. Though most men would have been selfish, he chose the opposite; to put others before him.

"Har har! Of course you are! You'd never take a woman against her wishes!" Yagen bellowed, before his laughing ceased and a proud smile overtook his features. "Nonetheless, you deserve respect all on your own. The world needs more people like you."

"I doubt that's what anyone wants… Trust me, you'd go mad if the population became filled with a bunch of me's," the lad sighed. Logic was always something he had relied on, and the thought of the world being filled to the brim with him is just… horrifying.

"I never said there had to be more of _you_. I just hoped that there would be more people _like_ you," Yagen corrected, looking out to the window. "Plus, you've been helping us more than necessary. What are you, our fairy godfather?"

"Just doing what I can," Adam shrugged, seemingly waving it off nonchalantly.

"Help?" That definitely got Asuna's attention, because it meant that this must've been not the only first time he stepped foot into the village. This, on its own, was a surprise for her, as she had never heard of him visiting this village before.

"Not just once, lass. More than a dozen, if I may say so myself," the elder sighed, muscles contracting for a bit before puffing out once more. "Ya' see, our village isn't all that big. So every time Adam comes, he tends to give us more than we can chew."

"Oh please, anyone would've done the same thing," the lad sighed, the thought dismissed with the elder's click of his tongue.

"I've seen many people come and go, yet none have ever done such a great deed such as you," Yagen leaned back against the table, allowing his scruffy beard to rest on his chest. "When you first came, you literally spent the whole day fixing our problems for us. Agriculture, hunting, education… Hell, ya' even give us funds and toys for the kids!"

"Whoa… Really?" If she wasn't looking in him a new light before, she definitely was now—so generous, it made no sense how such a person would still choose to doubt himself.

"Indeed," the elder nodded with a grin. "Adam, I may still be an ol' fart, but I'm honest when I'll say this… Thank you, for everything you've done. I promise you, if you ever need help, just call for us."

"And I the same to you," the lad smiled back, joining in the laugh between him and the chief, as Asuna watched on with her own lips' corners tugged upwards.

He was a person anyone could trust.

* * *

Floor 28—Wolf Plains

A perfect location to train, Asuna thought, as the 'Blood Wolf' kept spawning, one after the other.

They were now at the wolf plains, after Adam had chosen to bid the 'Moonlit Black Cats' farewell. The pain still lingered on his heart, but he was able to hold out nonetheless.

Seeing this, the lass decided to strike up a conversation to ease the tension.

"So… Are there anything else besides 'Blood Wolf' here?" She asked, mentally smacking herself for asking such a frivolous question. This place is named the 'Wolf Plains', for God's sake!

"Nope," he answered. "Unless there's an event here."

"Oh, I see…" She hummed, still feeling rather concerned with the lad.

He was a chirpy one, usually being the one to strike up a conversation. He was so friendly, everyone found themselves attracted to him. And it was hard to keep him away, cause' he'd always find a way to break into their hearts.

And yet, now, he was devastated due to leaving his previous guild. Ever since the day, he's been pretty quiet, and the tension was never absent.

Sighing, Asuna felt the need to end this once and for all.

"Alright Adam, spill it, why did you leave your guild?" She asked, not even bothering to sugarcoat her words. If this way meant that she'd get to the bottom of this much faster and easier, than she was all the more up for it.

"I… left the guild," he slowed his walking, finding the words scattered around his mind. "Because there was an event. One that was far too dangerous for the 'Moonlit Black Cats' to participate in."

"So why didn't you just ask them to wait for you?" She asked, feeling rather unsure with his answer.

"Because this event only allows those not in a guild to participate," he answered, eyes narrowing to show all his fear. "It was horrible, really. Ten players could join in it, and they'd be pitted against a boss monster, who had a scary level of seventy."

"S-Seventy?!" She repeated, finding no sense of jesting from the lad's eyes.

But this was insane! Why would such a monster be placed for an event, on such a low floor? They haven't even reached halfway yet!

"But the worst part of it," he gritted his teeth, scratching the back of his head in the process. "Was that if a person joined in the event, and he had a guild, the guild… would be warped to the centre of the event's stage, and be executed by the boss monster."

"W-What..?" She visibly cringed, and found herself wondering at why the hell would the creator of the game decide to implement that. That wasn't fair! "So you left the guild to take part… And what did you get from it?"

"…A new power, it said. But there was nothing at all," he lied, feeling pretty bad in his stomach after a while. "I mean, they said it'd help us _see things_. Lies, I tell you. That was the result, accompanied with forty-nine dead players."

From there, she found herself mute, unable to say anything more. It was shocking, to say the least, that forty-nine players were sacrificed to an event such as that. But something bugged her, and she couldn't help but ask.

"So why didn't you just join your guild back?" And her question managed to elicit a flinch from the lad, as he suddenly stopped walking.

"…Because I made a deal to not join a guild anymore," the lad answered, drawing out a gasp from the lass. "I promised the dealer that I wouldn't join a guild for two months. In exchange, I'd be given info on this event. If I didn't… They'd target the previous guild I joined."

"That's horrible!" She cried out, a feeling of frustration fuming from her chest. "They shouldn't do that! It's just… not fair!"

"Nothing ever is, Asuna," he sighed. "But on the bright side, the guy's already dead. Heard someone put a knife in his gut when he was asleep. Definitely saved me the trouble of dirtying my hands."

"Really?" She blinked at his words, surprised at the sudden coldness of his tone. He, however, took it as a surprise of the news, of which he nodded in response. "So… do you plan to join the guild the next time you meet each other?"

"Not really," he sighed. "I think I'm more suited alone. Plus, if I were ever in danger, at least I wouldn't have to burden anyone else with it. I'm always going to be facing off against dangerous things, so not having anyone by my side is more than enough. They'd be safe."

And from there, she chose to keep silent once more, deciding to just walk and think.

He was foolish, but selfless at the same time.

* * *

Present

She understood now, what it really meant to fall in love.

Every day, all she could think about was him. When she closed her eyes, she saw him. When she enters a room, she always wondered if he was there. When she was cold, she always wished for him to hold her. When he wasn't there, with her…

 _That's_ when she felt _hurt_.

He was a presence she was so wanting to be there with her, and now…

She screwed up.

'But I can still make it..!' The lass reasoned with herself, not stopping to take a break from the run. 'Just a bit more!'

* * *

Floor 22—Coral Village

"Man… Why'd he have to tell her not to come?" Lisbeth sighed, feeling slightly upset at the lad.

Sure, he was trying to be logical here, but really? Asking the same girl who loved him not to marry him? It made no sense!

But when he brought up the topic of the ways he hurt them—obviously a huge lie—she couldn't help but stop to think. In what ways had he actually done that?

He was always teasing her, but not to the point that she'd rip her hair out. In fact, she enjoyed the attention, no matter how annoying it could get sometimes. He tricked Silica into becoming bait for a bunch of killers, but the girl seemed fine with it.

 _'As long as I have use for Adam, I'll do anything!'_

Lisbeth grinned; that was indeed how the dragon tamer had said it last time.

Then there was Yolko, who revived the 'Golden Apple' guild because she wanted to develop the same skills of leadership as their lover does—something he has outrightly denied. After that was Argo, who's made a name for herself as an information broker and merchant, gaining the trust of the masses due to learning under Adam.

And finally…

Sachi, the first person to be their lover's… lover. She had many things; cowardice, uncertainty… But all of it was overshadowed by the many good things about her; kind, lovely, beautiful, smart—the list could go on if they were to ask Adam.

So if everyone were happy with the black-cladded lad, why couldn't Asuna?

'Come on, Asuna…' Lisbeth looked down, hands clasped as she began to pray to the God above. 'I know that you'll be happy… Please, come back…'

*Thud!*

Speak of the devil!

"W-Whoa..!" Silica jumped when the door was suddenly tossed open, but her eyes widened with joy when a familiar person stood at the doorway. "Wait, is that..!"

"Asuna!" Lisbeth stood from her seat, scanning Asuna all over and able to see sweat and dirt. "What happened to you?"

"I… ran here…" She panted, swallowing a bit of saliva before proceeding to talk. "How long more until the ceremony..?"

"A few more minutes, at best," the blacksmith sighed. "So, what do you plan to do?"

"What Adam is doing," the strawberry blonde responded, eliciting surprised gasps from everyone in the room. "He's out there… And I have to too."

Blinking in surprise, Sachi found herself visibly stunned, for the first time since… when was it?

Putting that aside, she only knew now just how much Adam must have meant to her, and she understood the feeling. Six girls, herself included, were in love with the lad. And even then, he had never even made advances—except for Asuna, which made everyone envy her.

And the blunette was certain that Asuna wouldn't show up. But now that she's here…

"Alright, girls!" Sachi called out, drawing everyone's attention onto her. "We need to get Asuna dressed up! Make sure no one else knows of her presence, including Adam! Let's make this a surprise!"

Indeed, she wasn't heartbroken at the fact that her man was marrying someone else. She only hoped for his happiness all this time, so this was something that she had been hoping to happen. Hopefully nothing bad happens.

* * *

"Well, that does that," Asuna watched as the 'Laughing Coffin' leader gave out a grin, stepping backwards to give the newlyweds.

Truth be told, she thought she was going to die just from the process of PoH giving the vows. Seriously though, only God knows how he even found out about those things. Damn it, she couldn't even look at Adam in the eyes!

But this was happening..!

She felt nervous, greatly so, but it made sense. Heck, even Adam looked shaky. And yet, he was trying his best to make this all look good, so she had to do her best as well.

She watched as the lad slipped a gold ring with a single black gem on its bezel on her ring finger. It was so beautiful… And the black gem, it was _his_ colour. A small twinge of pride and joy filled her heart, and she did her part.

"Kiss the bride," PoH spoke, and the pair flinched for a while.

Kiss? In front of the public?! She wasn't ready for this at all! And yet, if Adam was going to do it, which she knew he would do just to look cool, then she'd brace herself as well.

"You came…" She heard her lover's whisper, his face brushed red with much embarrassment and love.

At that, she felt herself begin to tear up. All this time, he had been hoping, praying for her to come. He never said it, but the tone of his words held the meaning enough. And she couldn't be happier.

"Of course I did," she cried, not even bothering to blink away the tears. "I love you after all."

And then they leaned closer until their lips met, and it was a happy ending.

* * *

Evening

After the whole ceremony was over, everyone had opted to going back to their separate ways. And trust me when I say three of crazy things have happened in such a short time.

For one, PoH _resigned_. What?! Him, the leader of the player-killing guild, choosing to let go of his nefarious ways?! It was an impossible thought! Yet, it happened, and he found himself settling down into a life as a normal person in the 'Coral Village'.

This became the headlines just a moment later. Why he chose to leave? Well…

 _'I envy the peaceful life Adam has. As such, I'd like to see how I fare if I were to deal with said life. Let's see if the game can take that away from me.'_

Truly, even the lad himself cringed at the words he used. But all in all, he had a new friend on his 'Friends List'.

Second, was how the floor was going to be turned into a new fishing attracting spot. Somehow, the floor was tinkered with to have more rare fish spawning much more commonly starting from now on, and no one could truly hold back. Plus, ever since they heard that Adam had started fishing too, they wanted to follow in their idol's footsteps—much to the lad's nervousness.

And finally, Heathcliff, leader of the 'Knights of Blood', had chosen to put the whole week as a sort of holiday, something that was very much appreciated by the guild and everyone else.

However, it was the condition of this week-holiday thing that surprised the masses; how one would refrain themselves from killing another player during that time frame. Thank goodness everyone seemed to agree to it, and a long time of peace existed, even if it were temporary.

And now, with everything a done deed, Adam and his new family returned to their new home; the same wooden cabin in the middle of the forest.

The Log House was a small, round log cabin located in a round open grass field, surrounded by a thick coniferous forest, on a hill at the southwestern edge of the 22nd Floor. The house is surrounded by a wooden fence with a wooden gate, has a few patches of moss growing on the walls and blends in with the nature surrounding it. The 1-storey house consisted of a large living room and the bedroom, as well as a small storeroom near the living room, kitchen, and bathroom.

Adam loved the house very much. Plus, the girls had taken a liking to it as well; they liked the balcony from the bedroom, which allowed them such a gorgeous view of the lake and hills, and the small terrace at the entrance the most.

"Mama!" Yui chirped as she rushed forwards, giving her new mother a tight embrace, one that Asuna was more than happy to return.

"Yui, hi!" The lass returned the hug, before pulling back with a bright smile on her features. "It kinda' feels weird, with me being your mother I mean… But I promise to try my best, and I hope we'll get along."

"You already have," the two turned to the source of the voice, and Adam came into view. "You both were always so close before. Even now, the bonds you share is just as tight as before. Just think of this as a different relationship."

"Yeah, you're right!" Yui giggled, moving towards her father at the same pace she used with Asuna to give him a hug. "Now I have a complete family!"

"That, you do," the lad nodded proudly, briefly glancing at Asuna before he turned away, blush vivid on his features. "So…"

"So…" Even the lass found herself at a lost for words. What were they supposed to do at this point of time?

…Don't even answer.

"What do you… want to do?" She asked, a little piece of hope beginning to thaw on her heart.

"I'll just follow what you want to do…" He answered, rubbing Yui's head slowly as he looked away from her.

Truly, if they were going to do something like _that_ , they'd need the girl out of the room. They couldn't imagine defiling the innocent girl's mind.

"Hey Papa," she called, the latter looking down to meet his daughter's gaze. "Can I sleep in the living room?"

The lad's eyebrow raised at this. Hang on, did she understand what was going to happen? He knew just how pure the girl was, that even indecent thoughts passed through her head like wind through a fiddle. And yet, here she was, capable of reading the mood. If so…

'Whoever taught this sort of stuff is going to get one _hell_ of a beating from me..!' The lad angrily thought, yet his face displayed all sense of calmness towards his daughter. "If you say so, dearie. Just make sure you're comfortable. And if you ever need anything, just give us a call."

"Alright!" Yui needed, standing on the tip of her toes to give her father a kiss on his cheek, followed later with her mother. "Have a good night!"

*Creak!* *Thud.*

And then there was silence.

"So…" It was pretty surprising for Adam; he had no problems with the other girls. But it made sense, since they were the ones that engaged him first. Right now, however, he had to take the lead, so he found himself rather shaky and everything else. It was a new experience, after all "Do you know what you want to do?"

"I-I don't know!" She cried out, face and neck scorching red with embarrassment. "I've never done anything like this…"

"Then allow me," he sighed, before he moved towards the lass with such confidence, that she found herself taking step after step back.

Before she found herself falling backwards onto their bed with an 'Oof!', with the lad following suit a moment later.

"A-Adam…" She silently gasped, able to stare into the eyes of the lad who was directly above her now. "Listen, I…"

"Yeah," he nodded, fully understanding what she was trying to say. "We'll go slow, so that you'd be comfortable."

Something that struck him strange, was how he had immediately jumped into having… _that_ , with the other girls. But now, after taking a few lessons from the various books he received from PoH—much to his chagrin—he learned of something that had to be done in order to ensure perfect calmness.

This was an important part that he had to do first, something of which he had never done before. F-F-Foreplay, it was, he struggled with the word. This would be the first time in his whole life that he'd pull off an act. Still, there was always a first for everything, am I right?

'What am I doing..?' He thought, mind feeling rather light as he continued to kiss his wife, the latter enjoying this little moment very much. 'Whatever… I can do this…'

Continuing to kiss her by the lips, he chose a new approach, grabbing her by the breast—

"Ahh~!" And a melody was heard.

'W-Whoa…' His eyes widened by surprise, he began giving each of her orbs a few light squeezes, and he was instantly entranced in her moans.

"N-Nhha…" Her words came out as nothing more than weak tunes to the ears, and she found herself unable to stop him—not that she even wanted to. This felt too good to stop. "S-So good…"

"If you thought that was good," he smirked, looking her eyes before he gripped the collar of her dress. "Let's see how far I can really go."

"What are you—" Before she even managed to understand what he meant, he was quick to pulling her dress down, revealing her beautiful assets to the world. "Hya!"

Not even bothering to give her time to fully process what just happened, he leaned in to capture her semi-hard nubs in his mouth, sucking onto it like a babe with its mother, rewarded with a louder moan from his wife, of which he began sucking harder as he groped the other.

"H-Hyaah!" Asuna, despite her best efforts to push him away, which was really small compared to anything else, had ultimately resigned herself to his ways. There was little to no affection here, but rather pure wanton lust and need. "Nnh..!"

What was this feeling inside of her? Never had she experienced such thing. Despite this world being nothing more than mere data and pixels, she found herself enjoying every bit of this—as if this were the real world.

"Let's see how you look underneath," he whispered into her ear, dragging the large skirt part of the dress—it was strange why Ashley had made this into a two part, but he wasn't complaining—away, before pulling down the wet undies she wore. "Ah—Damn…"

That little spot where he was used to seeing on others… No matter how many times he were to given view of the same thing, he never knew when to stop feeling amazed.

"D-Don't—Ahhn… Look at it…" She panted, face flushed with so much embarrassment that he almost took her for a microwave.

Rather, instead of complying with her plea, he dropped forwards, and—

"Ghaa..!" She could feel something wet poking in and around her private spot, and she almost felt like she was about to melt. "NnHaa!"

He continued to lick, feeling somewhat proud at this step forward—he had never done such thing with his other lovers, so he took to thinking of this as a way to commemorate their special relationship that none others had with him.

But beyond it all, he noticed just how tantalising her privates was. Not only was it a beautiful shade of pink, it also had such a smell that he couldn't even remotely compare perfume to it. She was soft and sinfully delicious on the inside, but God forbid him from thinking that was all there was to it.

It's as the saying goes; Don't judge a book by its cover.

'Alright, time to move on to the main dish,' he gulped, rising slightly upwards to pull down his trousers—he swore that he could have heard a disappointed moan from the lass, much to his expectation.

'He's doing it…' Asuna noticed, as her husband began fiddling with his pant's belt, slowly dragging them down along with his underwear, and her eyes widened with much surprise. "O-Oh!"

"Yeah, yeah. It's not that impressive, fine…" He pouted, but felt more embarrassed than anything else.

"N-No! It's not that! It's just…" She gulped, moving her hand forwards to get a feel on his length, and she nearly jumped when it suddenly twitched at the sensation. "…Will it fit..?"

"S-Sure it can!" He reassured her, nervous just as she was. "I mean, if the others can do it, why can't—Wait, I mean..!"

"No, you're right," she shook her head, spreading her legs apart and giving him a full view of her flower. "The others can do it… Please, Adam, let me give you me. I want to be yours! And only yours..!"

"Asuna…" At that single moment, he thought he was about to break down in such a moment. But he realised then that he had to be strong. For her. He nodded silently, moving into position as he placed her head on his cubital fossa—or really, his elbow pit. "Can I..?"

"Of course!" She cried out, sounding more needy than every before. "I want you, really!"

And that broke down all his restraints, as he moved forwards to catch his reward—

"Ahn..! Ahh!" And she was finally deflowered, no longer remaining as the innocent virgin she once was.

"Asuna..!" At that moment, all senses and thoughts were dulled by that single sensation down below, and he found himself moving forwards and back without even stopping. He tried his best to regain his composure, but the need was too strong, he couldn't hold back at all. "Ghrua!"

"F-Faster..!" She pleaded, locking her legs around her husband to keep him from running off. "Harder, Adam~!"

Complying to her requests without saying anything, Adam leaned downwards to capture her lips in a sensual kiss, not pausing once and continuing his assault, able to feel her insides starting to squeeze hard on his member. Even so, the pain was absolutely bliss, thus he continued on.

Asuna, on the other, seemed to be drowned in pleasure already. She had read stories on romance when she was a child, but this seemed far different than the love between a handsome prince and his damsel in distress.

In this story, they were both soldiers whom fought together on the battlefield. And it was already romantic enough for the two newlyweds.

"H-Haah..!" Pants coming out much faster and heavier than before, and the lad realised just as quick that he was closing to his own limit. "D-Damn it! Asuna, I'm getting close..!"

Just from his words, her eyes grew large that displayed shock, but immediately washed away with lust and utter dismissal.

Despite the lust clouding her ability of thoughts, she knew that this was nothing more than a game world. So, if anything, he'd be unable to get her pregnant, thus the fear of giving birth wasn't there.

Even so, she found it rather painful that the creator of the game decided to make the world realistic, by adding in the hy—Wait, too far! Let's just call that the 'flower'!

"Nghaa..!" The lass's breaths came out too shallow, and she swore she was going to need an oxygen supply after all of this. And yet, she didn't think of that now, because her need for her husband was the highest priority right now. "M-More!"

He rammed into her faster, and the tingling sensation inside of his length was starting to pulsate more strongly than ever now. Even Asuna seemed to reach… something, he guessed. She looked like she was about to break down, but mostly from her little thing it seems.

But God, sin him if he was honest; this felt like heaven! How she seemed to squeeze out every essence from him, how her breaths sounded like melodious tunes of a bard, how the scent from their juices mixing began to flood his nostrils, of how the only thing that he could be heard in the room right now was hip slapping hip and pants and moans resonating in the air…

"Fhaa~!" She lacked anything to say, and found herself at the mercy of her husband, taking every action of pleasure with an open heart, and an open 'flower'.

…I'm so sorry for that joke. Please forgive me for that.

"I-I'm feeling something, Adam..!" She breathed out, nails beginning to dig deep in his skin, drawing blood. "S-Something's—"

"It's okay!" He cut her words off before she spoke anything else, starting to apply more pressure—he was certainly baffled at the thought that he could go beyond this already—to their lovemaking session. "Y-You're fine! Nothing's—Hha..! You'll be fine..!"

And just those simple words had given her a new feeling of serenity, as she found her insides beginning to churn with a comfortable warmth.

But besides that, she could feel the tip of his length jabbing against her womb, forcing all her receptors to go fully overdrive, sending wave after wave of pleasure into her bottom, and numbing all other feelings.

"D-Damn it… It's about to..!" The lad grunted, wanting release, yet putting the lass's joy above his own self wanting. Of course, he was always the chivalrous person, so he chose to alert her beforehand, in case she doesn't want it.

But really now, would she ever deny his seed?

"Just do it..!" She told him, shaky smile melting into an expression of pure salacity as they both were reaching their climax. "I-In me! I want you, Ad—"

"YHahNNGH!"  
"NyaHHgh!"

With all barriers down, it was only a matter of time before he finally exploded, blowing string after string of his essence down into his wife's tunnel, the latter shuddering each time she felt herself filled in more.

Hopefully they could buy a new bed without Yui noticing its smell, or its feeling, because their juices had filled Asuna to the brim, thus leaking out and mixing in with the bedsheets, giving the air a scent of sex and sweat.

"H-Hha…" Adam panted, dropping down to the bed and feeling the exhaustion that just kicked in. "Y-You… alright..?"

"U-Uhn…" Asuna, visibly drained of all her energy and willpower, could make out no clear words. Rather, it all sounded like mere gibberish, yet he could somehow understand what she meant. He smiled softly, before pulling her towards him, laying her head on the crook of his neck.

"This really is the best night of my life," he sighed with a smile, looking down and prepared to say something, before catching his tongue once he saw how she was already asleep. 'That was quick… Oh well. We'll talk again in the morning.'

Giving her one last kiss on her forehead, he pulled a pillow and rested his head on it, allowing sleep to completely take over him.

The day he and Asuna married was the best day ever.

The night he and his wife became a true pair was the best night ever.

* * *

 _And it was through all the challenges that they faced together, that they managed to come out as the top._

 _But really though, who could have fathomed for the 'Black Swordsman' to be the very one who caught the 'Lightning Flash's heart? All in all, their marriage was a success, and low was born fruit._

 _But even so, that didn't stop five others from joining the room a moment later._

 _And his daughter had watched him that night, a new understanding coming to heart. Was that really the end?_

 _Who knows…_


	16. Chapter 15

"Don't let me down!" - Speech

'You look familiar…' - Thoughts

 _"The war was over."_ \- Flashback / Emphasis

*Whoosh!* *Tzzz!* - Sound effects

 **"This isn't good!"** \- Tatl / Tael Speech, Monster Speech

 **'How in the world?'** \- Tatl / Tael Thoughts

* * *

'`Chapter 15: Being a Non-Human'`

 _An everyday struggle for the First AI was to conceal his identity._

 _It was something that he had to keep closed to everyone around him, in fear that they wouldn't be able to accept such insanity._

 _So should the trust between him and his allies be left to disintegrate? Whilst one remains anonymous, as the others lose their faith in him? One could only hope, as the others pray._

* * *

November 21st 2024—Floor 22—Coral Village

It was a day just after their marriage, and their little happy ending.

Indeed, things were so perfect. He was married to one of the most beautiful women he had ever met, and Yui now had a complete family. He wondered as to whether there were other happier things like this, but even so—

'This would forever be, the greatest thing in my life, no matter what,' he smiled, looking at his sleeping wife with a contented heart, a happy sigh escaping his lips a moment later.

And of course, the smell of him and Asuna still lingered in the air, thick as the liquid that he poured into her that night. Dear God, he swore that if anything else could indefinitely get worse than this—

"Khha..!" A sudden moan escaped him, accompanied with the tingly sensation down in his nether regions. Wait, what the heck is going on? His wife was sleeping soundly in front of him, tired smile on her peaceful expression, so why did he feel as if someone… was… No..!

Instantly feeling the adrenaline pump through his veins and horror beginning to set in his mind, he tossed the bedsheets off of him, only for his jaw to drop as fast as a guillotine—

"M-Mngh..?" At the sight of a very familiar blacksmith, with the same hair of pink sucking him off.

"W-What are you doing here?!" He cried out, eyes wide with horror and confusion. He watched as she pulled her lips from his length with a 'Pop!' sound, just like when one tested a burning splinter with hydrogen gas.

…Sorry, science experiments came to my mind.

"Well, trying to wake you up, duh," she rolled her eyes, as if it were the most obvious answer in the world. "And since I woke you up, _I_ win!"

"W-Win?" The way she phrased it didn't sound good. And true to his gut feelings, his stomach dropped at the sight before him.

All the girls he loved in his little harem—little huh? I wonder—standing against the wall opposite of his bed, all possessing a look of disbelief at the sight of their lover fully awake.

"H-Hang on!" He shook his head so fast, that one could swear he was going to get whiplash. "What do you mean win?"

"W-Well…" Silica's soft voice penetrated the air for a moment, before she stopped herself from continuing, seemingly lacking any other words to say.

"We were having a little bet," Argo shyly averted her gaze from the lad, a rare display he had to take a mental picture of. "We wanted to see who could wake you up first, so… Yeah, we did some things to you, but seriously though! You sure are resilient when you want to be."

"R-Resilient?" He parroted, the realisation dawning on him when his eyes landed on the trail of his essence leaking from their respective 'flowers'. "N-No way…"

"I don't even understand how people can still remain asleep even when someone decides to…" Yolko trailed off, not deciding to look at him in the eye by averting her gaze to her left, unable to hide the newly formed blush.

"You girls did _that_ with me?! In my _sleep_?!" Adam gawked, unable to believe that the five girls had sex with him, just to wake him up! Men, this may be your paradise, but this is one hell of a stranger tale than most!

"Hey, it's your fault that you didn't wake up the first time Sachi shook your shoulder," Lisbeth smirked, mentally laughing her butt off when she could hear the nervous whimpers from the bluenette.

"Please tell me this is just a dream…" The lad groaned, flinching just as quick when he felt his wife beginning to stir. He was too slow, as she already rose into a sitting position.

"Mmh…" She hummed a little bit, a groggy yawn escaping her lips, before she slowly fluttered her eyes open, all sense of tire now replaced with pure surprise as she saw the scene before her.

"W-W-Wait! I can explain!" He stuttered, desperately looking for a 'Plan B' in case things went south.

"Ohh… Morning already..?" Asuna yawned, a cute sound that momentarily caught her husband in a sound daze, before he shook himself from his reverie.

"Now listen, Asuna, before you start getting mad," he pointed an accusing finger at the blacksmith between his legs, the girl herself flinching in response. "I didn't ask her to do anything. She did it all on her own."

"W-What are you blaming me for?!" Her voice came out slightly cracked, and a blush was quick to form in slight embarrassment that it had happened.

"Because you suddenly did it to me, in my sleep! Come on, that's creepy! Even I know how far to go!" He retorted, surprising himself with the tone of sarcasm in his voice. Truly, if he was a mystery to even himself, there was absolutely no doubt that anyone else would be surprised.

"W-W-Well, you did it with Yolko and Sachi in a bathroom once!" Lisbeth accused, fully intent on getting the tables turned that she hadn't realised she had just put that fact out for display. Only after a moment had settled did she truly become aware of what she said. She had intended to apologise to him, but then—

"Wait, really?" Asuna's, Silica's and Argo's voice penetrated the silent air, with the three in question shuddering in response and having a separate reaction—Adam looked like he was about to jump about the window, Sachi just opted to giving a bashful chuckle, and Yolko had assaulted the blacksmith, shaking her shoulders endlessly.

"Okay, I get that the two of you can accept this easily," the lad spoke, before turning to his wife with pure bewilderment. "But seriously?! How are _you_ not shocked at all?!"

"Umm… Because I know you've been doing it with the others for a long time now, since you've technically told me before our wedding?" She pointed out, receiving a gawking reaction from her husband. "And please, I don't really mind it. Plus, I can see what Sachi means. The more, the merrier."

"T-This can't be real!" Adam yelled to no one in particular, gripping his hair with both hands and threatening himself to pull it out. "How in the world is this even happening to me!"

"Well, it's your fault for being such a charming person," the blunette's voice came out rather sultry and teasing, her carnivorous smile a new trait for everyone to behold. "And since you're so kind to keep us by your side, well… We can't possibly leave you unrewarded now, can we?"

"Oh, please tell me we're not having sex first thing in the morning…" He groaned, knowing full well that it was pointless to stop the girls. He knew the look in their eyes when he first woke up.

And it didn't help that he had already released his load into them either.

"Oh, we are," the merchant nodded, grinning cunningly as she nodded her head towards Asuna. "And your wife will be joining you."

"No, she will not," he hummed, before looking to said person for conformation. "Right?"

"Sorry Adam, but…" That single chuckle that left her lips was anything but innocent. It was calm, friendly, and most importantly of all? _Lecherous_. "You and the other girls had sex more than once, but we only did it last night. Surely, you must understand that I don't plan to lose to them. I'm your wife, after all."

"Oh, please no…" He paled, suddenly feeling underwhelmed in the presence of his lovers hungry for his taste. 'Things are _definitely_ going to get hectic…'

* * *

Two Hours Later

"Hyagh!" His first lover's voice filled the room in the form of a super high pitch, much that it could've shattered glass if she willed it to.

"It's okay, Sachi..! Just let go!" Adam roared mercilessly, holding her in a position of which she was at his mercy, with her back facing him as he strongly held her by the arms. He rammed into her from behind ever more faster, picking up the pace as he felt the sensation beginning to grow.

"Ahhngghh!" No more tangible words could she even form now, for all the love and pleasure had drowned her mind, disabling the ability to even think. She couldn't even see the others on the bed, possessing 'flowers' that were filled to the brim with their lover's seed.

"Just a bit more..!" He forced out his words, his own throat feeling dry from all the shouting after all the orgasms he's gone through.

Really though, he began thinking, how was all of this remotely possible? The moment he thought that he had done the ultimate deed with Sachi, he had thought that she'd be his alone, and he hers.

But truly, the same thing that gave people their amazing stories was also the same thing that had a tendency to screw him up over and over; fate.

'Gee, couldn't leave a guy alone now, can you..?' He sarcastically remarked in his head, before all of was blown away by the sudden wave of pleasure that pulsated out of him, marking the twenty-eighth time he had ejaculated this whole day.

"Nghhaa…" Sachi's tongue lolled out of the side of her lips, spit drooling downwards as her body twitched each time more seed introduced itself into her 'flower'. She felt so hot, as if she were ready to melt, similar to the white, milky liquid that flowed slowly out of her.

"God… That felt good…" Good was just an understatement of the current situation, but even he knew his limits. And ultimately, he had long gone over his limit, which was supposed to be only a generous amount of ten full blows. "Are you alright?"

"Mmha…" She wordlessly hummed with her jaws still apart, finding herself growing weaker and more tired out. She dropped to the bed, instantly falling asleep despite her not wanting to.

"Wow… First thing in the morning, we had sex, and you're all asleep again..?" He mumbled to himself, slightly disappointed that they were already out.

He looked all around him on the bed, and couldn't help but feel a strange sense of serenity from all this. He remembered how he had pegged Sachi from behind as she supported herself on the edge of the bed, whilst he assaulted Yolko with his fingers, before reversing the positions. Then he had done a foursome with his wife, Asuna along with Lisbeth and Silica—seriously though, how did that even work? If he was able to ask God anything, he would've probably made that the first thing.

But really, seeing that everyone was now fully tired out, he was left to wonder with one question.

"What in the world am I supposed to do now?" He asked himself, releasing a distressed sigh when no response came.

Thinking that he'd probably get nothing done now, he took his time to get himself washed up in the bathroom, finding himself rather pleased that he was now cleaned of any of traces of their… love-making sessions.

After donning his outfit and black coat, he left a note on the bedside, hoping that they wouldn't freak out once they saw that he was gone.

Slowly leaving his room, he could see Yui fully asleep on the couch, the back of her head the only thing in view—he could tell she was asleep judging by how she was quietly snoring, which was pretty cute if he had to admit. He smiled, simply chuckling to himself of how fortunate he was that his daughter hadn't heard all the things he had done with Asuna and the others.

'I'd rather her stay pure and innocent forever,' he mentally sighed, wholeheartedly hoping for it to stay that way.

Taking a little time to drink some water, he finally left his cottage, feeling a strange feeling of loneliness. Why did he—Oh yeah, it made sense. The last time he had ever been lonely had been so long, that he thought it was practically nonexistent. Now, with no one by his side, he felt lonelier than ever.

"No… They're with me, in spirit, always," he nodded to himself with pure enthusiasm. Just because they weren't with him now, didn't mean that they wouldn't be with him ever.

Seriously though, they're just in his, Asuna and Yui's cottage.

Quickly, he took a look at his inventory before he warped somewhere.

* * *

Floor 1—Town of Beginnings

The very place everything began.

Looking around, Adam was quietly impressed with how much development had gone into the city. Surely, did the creator of the game really allow this?

The town was now much bigger, possessing two or three buildings that was seventy feet high. Guards were stationed here and there, and there were the occasional merchants driving carriages into the town and out. Everything was much more lively, as business seemed to happen more often.

And of course, the lad couldn't help but recount what had truly happened this whole time.

He remembered… Being born into this world than mere data. How he had been given memories of a person who's lived in this world for nineteen years—officially, he was nineteen by human calendar. And he remembered how he exited out of Grimlock's shop after calling his weapon dull, before doing his occasional work of stopping the bad guys, and…

"And then I met Asuna," he nodded to himself, seating himself on a bench with a newly built fountain behind him.

He still remembered how she looked that day; white dress with a red vest and matching red skirt. She was just a beginner that time, that it was hard for him to even make connections between the old her and the her now.

"And then I participated in the battle with Diavel," he whistled to himself, breathing in the calm air before letting out an exhale once more. "This life… Is it going to end soon?"

He feared that thought most of all. He knew that his time would soon come to an end, but he… He wanted to be with his friends a little longer. But was there anything that he could truly do?

Asuna would grow on to become successful, just as her parents were. Silica would undoubtedly become more skilled in school. Lisbeth would find some way to truly match her skill in-game. Yolko would look on for a living. Sachi would return to the real world with her friends from the computer club. And Argo? She was a mystery.

"But would it be okay to hold them back?" He asked himself, not noticing the little tear that had already began snaking downwards, until he felt it hit the back of his palm. Sniffing, he wiped it away, before leaning backwards into the wooden chair, smiling calmly as he felt the wind hit against his face. "In the end… I was supposed to stay back…"

"Oi, Adam!" Said lad instantly perked up, rising from his chair and making sure no traces of his previous melancholic state had not lingered, all the while keeping a thorough lookout for who called him. "Hey, over here!"

And turning to the source of the voice, he was surprised to find Klein and his guild here, on the first floor. He raised his eyebrow in surprise; what were they doing here?

"Klein? A surprise to see you here of all places," he whistled as he came to Klein's side, exchanging smiles with the samurai and his guild members.

"Yeah, well, we heard that there was an exciting even here!" The samurai boomed, his guild members nodding in agreement.

"Event, you say?" The lad's interest was already piqued at that, so he chose to push on. "What sort?"

"Well, from the information broker's words, there should be a 'Flag Mob' spawning somewhere in this town," Klein informed, earning him a concerned from his friend.

"But there's people here. Surely, there could be a better place than here of all places…" Adam frowned, seemingly distressed at the thought. There were living players here! And if there weren't, he had to worry about the NPC.

"Yeah… So let's work together and finish the boss quickly!" Klein thrusted his fist outwards, a determined smile melting away the fear the lad had felt earlier.

"Jeez… Well, at least you know when to turn rain into sunshine," the lad chuckled, returning the gesture by meeting his own fist with his friend's. "Let's see what we've got."

*Pzz!*

Just as quick as he said that, the sky began pulsing with light and colour, before a portal cracked open in the sky, shaping itself into a strange circle, before—

*Krng!* *Thud!*

"W-What the…" Ignoring the sudden tremor from the mob dropping onto the ground, everyone were clearly distressed or surprised at what stood before them.

It was some sort of machine with a bipedal appearance, with its chassis mostly black and silver in color, and a black lower jaw that looked akin to a beard. It was very bulky and spherical, giving him an ogre-like or troll-like appearance. In its right hand was a sturdy hammer, built from pure iron.

 **"Well, isn't this a fine how-do-you-do!"** The machine bellowed, stroking his beard with a hearty look. Everyone gasped with shocked looks plastered onto their faces in response.

"H-How the hell can you talk?" Adam blurted out, finding himself suddenly weak in the body. Never had the creator of the game taken to constructing a mechanical monster before. All this while, they had been facing off against organic monsters!

 **"Oh, it's just that way, boy! Truly, you don't need to feel so scared now! It's just me, after all! Bwahaha!"** The mechanical boss laughed, clutching his iron torso with his free hand.

"D-Dude, how are we supposed to damage him?" The samurai heard his guild member ask him, of which he himself gave a click of the tongue. He didn't know.

 **"Oh, so you intend to defeat me? Now now, let's not get too hasty! I merely came here for the boy,"** the boss spoke, tapping the end of his hammer against the ground. **"Dressed in black, wields two swords, has a bunch of women around him. Seen him?"**

"Seen him? I think you need to get your eyes fixed, old man," Klein snickered, gesturing to Adam, who hit his shoulder in pure frustration.

"Seriously?! You're giving my presence away?! You suck! And don't provoke him!" He cried out, feeling himself rather defeated by the laugh that Klein released.

 **"Ah, this makes my job indefinitely easier,"** the boss nodded, before kneeling forwards, his red eyes pulsing brightly before turning back to the dark shades they once were. **"See here, boy. You know who's waiting for you in the end?"**

"…I have no idea who you're talking about," the lad quickly riposted, mentally cursing at himself for even allowing that slight delay in speech.

 **"Oh, but you do!"** The mechanical boss tilted his head, his jaws opening slightly to show nothing but gears and… green lines at the walls of his metallic throat. **"That's why you left your guild in the first place!"**

"What?" Klein blinked in surprise. Adam had stated that he left, because he had to take care of some business, which was the event thing. "Is it the part where he left to take part in that event?"

 **"Oh, but of course! And yet, there's an itsy-bitsy detail that your little friend here has left untouched!"** The boss laughed, before standing up to his full height. **"Come now, boy. You don't truly think that they will wait for you any longer now, do you?"**

" _They_?" Klein repeated, ready to ask Adam on who the boss meant, but biting his tongue when he saw that look on his face.

Grief. Sorrow. Fear. The same things he had when he admitted to dating with each girls behind each other's backs.

 **"Well, I just came here to give you that message, that's all,"** the boss laughed, before he suddenly knocked the side of his head with his knuckle. He turned to Adam, and the lad swore he could see a vicious grin on the metallic boss's face. **"Oh, and to make your progress a little bit faster, my boys have paid your home a little visit,"** at his words, Adam paled, trepidation raised to its highest point as he stared back at the boss. **"You should've thought a bit more before you chose to settle into a life of peace, boy! There ain't nothing that will stop us!"**

Just as then, a sense of wind began blowing from beneath the boss's feet, as his limbs began to insert themselves into the torso, him beginning to levitate.

"W-Wait!" Adam cried out, feeling helpless and weak the moment the words had settled in. "You can't do this! I'll come, just leave them alone!

 **"No! Let me protect everyone! I'll keep 'em real safe,"** and the next words that left his lips stunned the lad more than a paralytic poison, just before he flew off and laughed as heartily as ever. **"Inside my belly!"**

And he watched the boss finally disappear into the sky. And when the heavy feeling of fear settled into his stomach once more, he began running to the town's portal gate.

"Adam!" Klein called, but to no avail in stopping the lad. Grunting, he ran after his friend. "Come on guys! We need to help him!"

* * *

Floor 22—Coral Village

 ***Xenoblade Chronicles - Crisis (Play Song)***

Reaching home, he was hoping so strongly that nothing had happened to his lovers, his wife, his daughter… Ah, forsake the house, he couldn't care less if they got hurt!

"N-No…" And yet, his heart instantly contracted to the point where he almost felt like he was about to faint, when the sight of smoke made itself present in the air. "No!"

Letting his legs carry him to his destination, pushing them beyond their absolute limits, he didn't stop even though every fibre of his being was screaming for him to stop. They were in danger!

*Sizzle..!* *Thonk!*

"Oh God!" He cried out at the sight of his cottage, now set ablaze as orange and red melted into the colours around. He paled, instantly running in despite hearing his samurai friend's warnings.

'Argh, hot!' He hissed at the high heat, able to feel his skin being licked by the fires, but chose to continue onwards. He ran to the living room, seeing no sign of Yui anywhere. A small part of him had told him that she must have escaped, and he chose to depend on it, heavily ignoring what the other part of him said.

Slamming his right shoulder into the door to his bedroom, he was able to see how everyone was coughing and trying not to inhale any of the smoke. Mentally cursing at himself for even putting them in danger in the first place—technically, he's not at fault, but we know the sort of person he is—he immediately got to their side, trying to get them out of the burning house.

"Adam, watch out!" He heard Asuna's scream, accompanied with the collapsing of the roof, blocking their only exit.

"We're stuck..!" Silica cried, feeling just as terrified as the other girls were.

"No, we're not!" Adam yelled, beckoning for the girls to come closer to him. Avoiding the flaming lickers, they finally reached his side.

"What's your plan?!" Yolko screamed, doing so as she was worried no one would be able to hear her voice.

"We break through!" The lad informed them, directing their attention to the wall. "Once the wall's down, you have to immediately run with me! Cottage won't stand on its supports forever! Understood?!"

"R-Right!" All girls shouted in shaky unison, holding each other's bare shoulders, as if they'd lose each other in the maze of smoke and fire.

"Okay, here we go!" Adam shouted, lunging himself at the wall once with his left arm, before jumping back after making contact with a hiss. "Damn it, stings as heck!"

Before anyone could even voice their concern, he pulled out his sword, shaping his body into a stance that they had seen before.

And even before they could say anything else, he willed his blade to power up, before roaring loudly as he thrusted himself forwards once more—

*Crack!* *Bang!*

"Go!" He yelled, running forwards once the wall broke down. He didn't even turn to look back to see whether his lovers were trailing behind him, because he could hear their cries from behind him.

*Boom!*

The cottage finally met its curtain call, with its limit just a mere moment away. And true to its word, it finally broke down, crashing to the ground as fire continued to cackle, with smoke lifting into the air becoming heavier and heavier. The forest mourned for the death of the cottage, with the wind blowing in attempts of dousing the fire, but to no avail.

 ***Xenoblade Chronicles - Crisis (End Song)***

"G-God…" Adam panted, tired from his overexertion. But only when he regained half his energy did he speak up once more. "Umm, Asuna? Do you know where Yui is?"

At his question, he could sense her flinching in response, and a horrible feeling etched itself into his gut.

"Asuna," he repeated once more, sounding much more concerned and hesitant than before. "W-Where is Yui..?"

"She's gone," the lad's eyes widened with fear at the words, turning to look at Argo, who held a grim expression—it was something everyone had thought was impossible for her to even develop. "Those… things took her."

"N-No…" Silently gasping, he dropped to his knees, only fear being evident on his features, before he began gritting his teeth together. "How the hell did all of this happen?!"

"I'm sorry Adam…" The lad stopped, raising himself and seeing the sad look on his wife's face. "I was just… I didn't know, and…" Her eyes seemed to be wet with water, and it seemed right that he stopped her from talking, by kissing her of course.

"You're not at fault," he whispered after they broke away, looking to everyone present. "None of you are. If anything, I am…"

"But that's stupid. None of us knew what was coming," Lisbeth frowned, feeling her heart in turmoil at seeing that same thing.

The familiar self-resentment he had displayed that single night, when he had asked everyone to remain so to confess of his actions behind their backs. Of course, they had forgiven him for it, but they never knew it was going to come back. And right now, seeing him in that familiar state of distress had literally torn their hearts.

"But hang on. What _did_ happen?" Klein asked, wanting to get to the bottom of this as quickly as he could.

"We don't know… One moment, we were still asleep," Silica began recounting, a grim expression on her features that displayed all the fear she had a moment ago. "And the next… Machines that could talk just… appeared, and they took Yui. One of them burnt the cottage, and all of them left…"

"Damn it… This is bad," the lad clicked his tongue, grimacing at their current predicament. "And they really aren't going to let me off so easy…"

"Adam," the lad looked to his wife, and flinched from the stern, yet worried look on her face. It pained him to see her this way, but was there anything that he could do? "What's going on?"

"Simply to say," he sighed, averting his gaze to the floor for a brief second, before his eyes displayed the most amount of animosity anyone could've ever seen on him. "I'm due to meet my mistakes, as a father."

* * *

Floor 100—Ruby Palace

Slowly fluttering awake, it took her a moment to fully acknowledge the strange coldness that blew in the room, as well as the bright fluorescent lights that glowed through the walls.

"W-Where..?" She mumbled to herself, trying to push herself up to her feet, before she fell once more. "Where am I..?"

But with the tire running out a moment later, her eyes widened to the size of pans before she fully stood up, looking at the room she was in.

It was just a metallic cuboidal room, with these lines in the walls that emanated light and warmth. There was no exit, yet there was a gap between the ceiling and… something. It looked as if it were able to be pushed aside, just like how people access the inside of the roofs from the ceiling.

 **"Well, well!"** She shuddered at the sound, turning around that she met a familiar face that was projected onto the wall through some form of hologram. **"If it isn't the 'Black Swordsman's daughter! Quite a pick!"**

"Y-You!" She quaked in his gigantic presence, backing away before she dropped onto her bottom.

The being that had kidnapped her earlier had an more elegant appearance that resembled a humanoid. Almost skeletal of a body, it possessed blades for fingers and with a cannon mounted on its head. It had a little abdomen that seemed rather strange, seeing that its limbs were much larger than anything else. Streaks of red lights pulsed throughout his whole body, and she could've sworn that it looked like blood.

"W-What do you want?" Yui demanded, willing herself to become brave, just as her father was.

 **"Oh, nothing really. We just want your father to get here earlier,"** the being cackled, pointing to its skull with its blade-finger. **"Oh, and I suppose I could give you my name, eh? You will call me Metal Face."**

"Metal Face..?" She would've sweat-dropped at the poorly named being, but chose to hold it off. "And why do you want my father to be here?"

 **"Simple, really!"** A new voice interjected, with a new figure entering in. It was the 'Flag Mob' that the lad had met. **"We just want to see how good that boy tastes like!"**

 **"Damn it, Xord! Get off the screen!"** Metal Face grunted as he pushed the gigantic being away, a scowl formed on his metallic face—sort of. **"His sons want to meet him alive! Not in your stomach!"**

 **"Silence! You don't know the joys of being a Mechon, then!"** Xord scowled, withdrawing his hammer and looking ready to slam it into the other being—Mechon, as she heard.

 **"Well, would you rather eat him up, or know what it's like to have his 'Bulgeom' in your gut?"** At Metal Face's suggestion, the other Mechon immediately silenced. He snickered at this. **"Of course you wouldn't want that. None of us do. Now shut the hell up and help me patrol the floor once more."**

 **"Again? I'm getting bored of it…"** Their voices trailed off after a while, and she was now finally alone.

"N-No…" She whimpered, heart stricken at what she heard and what had just went down.

She remembered how her father had just married Asuna the day prior, and they were so happy, despite the short time together… And now, she was separated from the two of them, locked up in a place God knows where. And even then, it was terrible that the house was burnt down, with everyone trapped inside as she was unable to do anything but watch from the sky above.

And from what she heard, someone was planning to meet him. And kill him, possibly? That thought scared her the most, for she loved her father the most out of everything else, and couldn't bear with the idea of him being dead.

"But…" She whispered to herself, thinking hard on what she heard. "What did Metal Face mean by _sons_?"

That stuck with her quite a bit. Adam had other children before this? The idea had long been dismissed—Hell, the idea never existed at all! The only family he had was Yui as his daughter, Asuna as his wife, and the other five girls as his lovers! That was all there was!

Right?

And even so, the trepidation in her gut didn't seem to want to leave her. What could she possibly do now, she didn't know.

"Do I have my sword on me?" She hummed, taking a look at her inventory and happy when she saw 'Rebellion' laying in wait for her. She pulled it out, and gave it a few swings. "Maybe I could get out of here…"

Looking everywhere, the idea of breaking through the wall was a no-go. For one, it was made of a hard substance that gave her the idea that it was iron, yet it felt harder than that. Plus, if she were to break through, the Mechon would be alerted, and return to take her captive once more.

"So… I'll have to go up," she concluded, looking to the ceiling and seeing how there was a second layer on the ceiling. Sucking in air, she jumped—

*Brh!*

And easily broke through the layer. She blinked in surprise at the strange easiness of the task; she was expecting herself to have used her sword. She landed on the top part of the room she was in.

"W-Whoa…" And gasped at the sheer beauty of the floor she was on.

Everywhere she looked, it was just a beautiful stretch of green fields, with a large forest to the north. What did catch her eye, was the elegant red castle that towered in the centre.

Oh, and in case you didn't know, this 'room' she was in was stationed high up in the air, levitating off at least twenty feet above the castle.

"So this is the hundredth floor?" She asked herself, at awe with the beautiful view she had from up above. "But how am I supposed to get down now?"

 **"So the girl escapes,"** a deep, electronic-like voice penetrated the air, scaring the girl as she jumped back with a yelp. **"Pleasure."**

This new Mechon was tyrannic, possessing a body of gold and a tail that was divided into three tips at the end. Streaks of green and red light pulsated from his yellow body, and it had some sort of separate design at the back that seemed… almost too familiar.

 **"So you've managed to escape. I should have known Xord and Metal Face just aren't up to the challenge,"** the Mechon sighed in disappointment as he shook his head, before he directed his attention to the girl once more. **"And of course, it would be wise that you know who I am. Simply put, you may call me Yaldabaoth."**

"Yaldabaoth…" She muttered under her breath, before she rose her voice. "What do you want with my papa?!"

 **"Ah, of course. It seems that you know not of the grand designs that are coming to fruit yet,"** Yalbadaoth nodded his skull once, before pointing down below to the 'Ruby Palace'. **"Our masters are waiting for your father as we speak."**

"Masters..?" She wondered at what he meant. Were they the sons that Metal Face had said? And yet, despite the pieces sounding rather close, she chose not to connect them straight away. Truly, it could've been straightforward, but she learned not to trust one's words right off the bat. Something that sounded so simple could've been more complicated.

 **"Ah, forgive me. I am not allowed to expose their identities just yet,"** he softly chuckled, strange gesture that was unfitting of someone that took her hostage. **"However, I will admit, you definitely intrigue me. The first and last human that was ever taken here had no ideas of escaping, and Xord had ultimately chosen to finish the job. And yet you have it all figured out the moment you woke up."**

"Except how to get down from here," she admitted with a sigh, one that was broken by another chuckle from the golden Mechon.

 **"Indeed. So I propose to you a duel,"** he offered, pointing to a wide platform that floated some distance away. **"There, we may settle this little dispute with a battle. If you when, I suppose I may request my masters' mercy and allow you to leave. What say you?"**

Looking off to where he pointed, she found herself pondering whether to accept his proposition or not. Truly, if she could somehow come out victorious from this whole thing, she may as well be allowed to return to her family. And yet, if she failed… Wait, what would happen then?

"And… if I lose?" She asked with a shaky voice that didn't went unnoticed by Yalbadaoth.

 **"You will merely be kept hostage once more,"** he answered simply, before raising his sword and giving it a powerful swing. **"I await your response, girl. What will you do?"**

And even before she had the chance to deny his offer—

 _'An opportunity is like a gem in the rough. When there's one, just go for it! Who knows? There might be something awesome in the end!'_

Her father's words rung loudly in her mind, instantly cutting her off her ability of speech. Of course, he was always a risk taker. Brave and confident than most, and selfless to the end.

So if this was her chance to be like her father…

 **"So, what say you?"** Yalbadaoth asked.

"I…" This would be it. The chance. "I accept!"

* * *

 _Danger sets in, and the take upon the final chapter is nigh._

 _It was only a mere chance that the day he reunited with his final obstacles be coming ever more closer._

 _And as time plays the role of the final medal, who would reach their ends?_

 _Would the First AI truly end it all, or will the game bring down the lives of ten thousand players? As the scriptures of fates and destinies say…_

 _Only time can tell._

* * *

A/N: So, that's quite a short chapter, huh? Don't worry, there's more where that came from.

In any case, there are many things that you should have noticed by now. For one, the use of Mechons from Xenoblade Chronicles. Definitely surprising, but we'll hear more of them soon enough.

And the mystery of what Metal Face had said; sons. What does it mean? And how does all of this tie to the part where Adam left the 'Moonlit Black Cats'? We'll see soon enough.

And as always, thanks for reading!


	17. Chapter 16

"Don't let me down!" - Speech

'You look familiar…' - Thoughts

 _"The war was over."_ \- Flashback / Emphasis

*Whoosh!* *Tzzz!* - Sound effects

 **"This isn't good!"** \- Tatl / Tael Speech, Boss Speech

 **'How in the world? '** \- Tatl / Tael Thoughts

* * *

'`Chapter 16: Old & Forgotten'`

 _Children. A true blessing from the Lord above, passed down to the lucky couple._

 _And as a parent, one must do all they must to ensure their children's future, for it is their task and responsibility._

 _But even so, there is always a bump in the road to a true family. Every obstacle there is merely a test of their bonds._

 _And as a failure of a father he is, who knows how he'll face his past…_

* * *

September 4th 2020

…Voices.

"Artificial Intelligence, codenamed 'Adam Eden Eve', is waking up," he heard a feminine voice speak up, of which he slowly opened his eyes, able to see a girl with long black hair and dressed in a pretty black dress underneath a white lab coat.

"Allow me to see," a second voice, albeit male this time, walked to the screen, eyebrows raising at the sight before him. "I see. So the experiment was a success."

"Indeed, sir," the girl nodded, looking to the screen with a little grin. "A pleasure to meet you, A.E.E. I am Yui Akihiko. This here," she gestured to the man with grey hair beside her. "Is my father, Kayaba Akihiko."

"…" The A.I. stayed silent for a short while, before his head raised upwards. "Yui… Kayaba…"

"A.I. is showing slight difficulty with speech," Yui told her father, whom nodded in response before taking a sheet of paper and beginning to write something.

"No matter. We'll see to it that he is developed properly," Kayaba told her, before looking back to the A.I. with a neutral look. "Do you require anything?"

"I-I…" A.E.E. suffered with his words, feeling frail and weak in this pitch-black world with green characters that switched with another floating all around him, as he stared at them through this large, glass screen. "No…"

"I see… A.I. shows capability of answering 'yes/no' questions," the grey-haired man mused, before pointing a finger at a picture of a burger. "Do you know what that is?"

"B-B…" A.E.E. suffered with his words once more, before he was finally able to form a proper word. "Bur… ger…"

"A.I. has all data of general knowledge," Yui smiled, flashing a toothy grin at the screen. "You're doing a good job at this, A.E.E!"

"O-Oh…" He blinked, finding himself lacking any other responses.

It was clear as day that they were testing his abilities, simply to say. Whilst he didn't necessarily mind it—considering that he wasn't truly adept at opposing their actions and found no reason to oppose them in the first place—he found himself rather suffocated, as if he were a lab rat caged up in its little pen.

"Hmm… Oh, I have an idea!" Yui snapped her fingers before she took a few steps back, giving him a perfect view of her as she twirled once on the tip of her toes. "How do I look?"

"G-Good…" He stuttered less now, and a little blush painted his face. It only intensified when she giggled at his reaction.

"Impressive," Kayaba complimented as he wrote a few notes on a sheet of paper. "A.I. is surprisingly—No, I can't add that on the paper… A.I. is able to answer questions not based on 'yes/no', and is able to feel simple emotions. One such example is embarrassment."

As A.E.E. looked at the two, he only now realised that they must be some sort of scientists, judging by the white lab coat that hung around their shoulders. And looking at the room they were in, this must be some sort of lab, considering that the floor was littered with papers and the walls had maps pinned onto them.

Where was he? Just a moment ago, he was… Wait, what did he feel? The only thing he could ever consider as a memory was waking up to the sight of these two. Where was he?

"Well, the test is over, and daresay it is a success," Kayaba commented, before pointing to the wall clock that hung just above the door. "And as much as I'd like for this to continue, we must be leaving."

"Ohh… Already?" Yui pouted, swapping a brief glance at A.E.E. before looking back to her father. "But I want to talk with A.E.E. more!"

"And we'll have more time to do so tomorrow," the father answered back, much too simply that it amazed the A.I. "Remember, your school is currently closed down due to the summer holidays. We have that much time to continue tests on A.E.E."

"Oh yeah!" She smacked the flat part of her fist against her open palm with an understanding look, before turning to look at A.E.E. with a sympathetic expression. "Sorry, A.E.E, but we need to get going."

"Going… where..?" He asked, blinking tiredly at her.

"Well… Home, but don't worry!" She raised her arms defensively, as if he'd hit her or something. "We'll see you tomorrow! Really!"

"Oh…" He hummed a bit, before nodding his head slightly downwards. "Then tomorrow…"

"Yeah! Tomorrow, we'll see each other again!" She smiled as she mirrored his gesture, before making her way towards her father. "Bye, A.E.E!"

"Bye…" The A.I. raised his hand to wave at her. She smiled brightly, before disappearing out of the room, with Kayaba closing the lights and following suit.

That smile… It was like a portrait drawn by the hands of an expert painter. It captured the very essence of life, and he couldn't avert his gaze away. It displayed every emotions there were in the world; joy, sorrow, hope. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes on, ever since the datas took form in the shape of his body and mind.

And the room was silent. And he finally understood what loneliness was.

* * *

September 5th 2020

True to her world, Yui and her father returned to the lab to visit A.E.E, much to the A.I's joy—of course, Kayaba had taken his time to scribble down notes on the many new things he had shown.

In return, Yui had opted to sparing a few conversations with the A.I, something that both found much more enjoyable than watching the newest movies.

A.E.E. learned quite the number of things. For one, her father was a scientist who graduated early from high school due to his high intellect, awing the A.I. Seeing him as her idol, she followed in his steps, slowly learning the ways of technology and other things.

Besides that, he learned of her simple stories. She was born on the eighteenth of October, which probably made her younger than him, much to her slight embarrassment. He too learned about what he was; the first ever 'Artificial Intelligent' to have ever existed. This surprised him quite a bit, but he managed to stay calm despite it all—again, Kayaba wrote more notes once more.

"So… you like to sing?" A.E.E. tilted his head in curiosity, rewarded with a giggle from the girl.

"Yup! I mostly do it in the bathroom whenever I'm not in a rush," she explained, before directing her thumb to her father and speaking in a low voice. "But father doesn't like me doing it, cause' then I'd be taking too long…"

"And it means that I'd have to wait a longer period of time just to use the bathroom," Kayaba spoke up, surprising the girl quite a lot. He turned around to look at her with a blank expression. "Truly, I recommend that you find another hobby to do."

"H-Hey! It's not like I can just sing out in the open!" She retorted, face slightly flushed from being heard. "People'd just call me crazy!"

"But don't some of them do that?" A.E.E. asked, earning a pout from the girl.

"I know that! It's just…" She trailed off for a moment, before speaking up louder once she saw how A.E.E. seemed to struggle with a response. "Okay, okay… It's just, I don't like being heard by people, you know? It feels strange."

"Maybe you're scared of what they'd think of you?" The A.I. offered, eliciting a sigh from the girl.

"Probably… I sing in the bathroom cause' it means that no one will hear me. That way, I wouldn't have to deal with the shame of being criticised by others," she sighed once more, twirling a lock of hair with her index finger.

"But isn't that part of growing up?" A.E.E. asked once more, earning both the humans' attention as they look to him with curious looks. "When people tell you what mistakes you make, you're able to correct them, and move on. That's… how it works, right?"

The father and daughter looked at the A.I, silent for a moment, whilst A.E.E. had to deal with the pressuring quietude with a nervous chuckle.

"…He's not wrong, you know," Kayaba finally spoke up after that brief moment of silence, drawing his daughter's attention as she looked to him with a surprised look. "I didn't become the man I am today without making mistakes. In fact, it's just as A.E.E. says. I learned from them."

"O-Oh…" She seemed to have suddenly gone silent, before turning to look at A.E.E. with a hopeful expression on her features. "What do you think, A.E.E? Do you really think I could go sing? Out in the _open_?"

"I think you can," A.E.E. nodded with a comforting smile, somehow delivering a flutter to the girl's heart. "Remember this, the pop stars and idols out there have to sing on stage. If they can do it, no doubt you can."

"Y-Yeah… Yeah, you're right!" A newfound determination set into mind, and she became just as chirpy as usual. "Thanks A.E.E! And you too, father!"

"Pleasure, / Yeah," both Kayaba and A.E.E. responded at the same time, calm smile that seemed to make the room a little bit more serene.

* * *

September 10th 2020

Three days. They hadn't visited them for three days.

On the first day, he decided to excuse their absence, telling himself that they must have been busy with their work. And truly, he could understand. Kayaba had shared with him his documents, and he found himself confused and awed all the same. Or maybe they could be ill, so he decided to shrug it off.

On the second day, a little part of him began to worry, but he kept holding on. Their job must have taken a bit more time… Yes, that's it! There was nothing to fear! They were merely busy with their work, that's all! Right..?

On the third day, the little part of him that worried had completely taken over, and he was left to wonder what happened to them. He noticed that he had been pacing a lot in the computer, constantly finding himself scratching himself in the head for his disability to do anything.

On the fourth day, all his worry was washed away as he finally saw them walking into the room with tired looks.

"Kayaba! Yui!" He greeted them with much joy, due to their long absence. The two saw him, and Yui was the only one that smiled back. Kayaba? He just nodded and took a seat on his favourite Aeron chair. "Are you guys alright? You look occupied."

"Sorry, sorry… We've just been really busy with work…" Yui sighed with much exaggeration. "I mean, there was this discovery about how frogs could regrow their heads in an hour… Seriously though, I can't even count how many innocent frogs we've killed, just to test that stupid inference!"

"So… is it actually real?" He asked, straight to the point. It was just how he was told to do things, after all.

"No," she shook her head. "After that, the guy who made that discovery was taken to court, and he earned a year in prison. Light judgement, but oh well… As long as frogs won't be killed anymore."

"You seem to like frogs, Yui," A.E.E. smiled, before hearing a scoff escaping Kayaba's lips.

"She doesn't like frogs, actually. She finds them disgusting and slimy," he explained, earning himself a pout from his daughter. "But she does love animals in general. Those news you see about the death of animals makes her red with anger. Each, and every single time."

"I see…" The A.I. nodded with a new understanding, before a new question came to mind. "So I'm curious, don't you want to get a pet?"

"Well, I _do_ want one, but…" She averted her gaze from the screen, unable to admit something. He caught notice of this, and opted to calming her.

"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to," he shook his head with a calming smile. "If it's too embarrassing or anything, you can keep it to yourself."

"Strange. I was betting that you'd want to know more," Kayaba hummed, holding onto his chair for support as he stood. Only after a while did A.E.E. notice the way his hair was dishevelled, rather than the neatly combed condition it usually was.

"I do want to. But if it means that it'll make Yui feel bad, then I'd rather not know at all," A.E.E. explained, gently clasping his hands in front of him. "It's called… being understanding, I think. Correct me if I'm wrong."

"I don't think you are," Kayaba shook his head, writing something on a piece of paper before presenting it to the screen. "Explain to me what this is."

"It's… a game," he concluded after a minute of skimming through the words that were written messily on the paper—he noticed that Kayaba had intentionally changed the subject, but he decided to follow the flow. He was lucky enough that he had understood what each characters meant, because everything looked like a bunch of dominos.

"Yeah! It's called 'Sword Art Online'," Yui finally spoke after a long time of being silent. Presumably from thinking about his words, at best. "Father and I plan to make it 'VR'."

"Vee-yar..?" He parroted, but with much difficulty, seeing that he didn't have any knowledge on this before.

"No, silly! It's 'VR', short for 'Virtual Reality'," she explained. "You see, it's where our consciousness takes form of a… something, I guess, with realistic images, sounds and other sensations that make us feel like we're in a real world. In this case, a game!"

"I see," the A.I's voice claimed nothing more than innocence, as he fiddled with the idea. 'Virtual Reality'? It sounded like some sort of miracle, should it ever exist. What sort of reality could it really be, he wondered. Would it take the shape of the world they were living in? Or would it mimic this data world he was currently being kept alive in? "So, how would it be like?"

"It will be an action game where players can fight against one another and monsters," Kayaba spoke briefly, sipping from his coffee to indulge in the taste of coffee beans and temperate heat, before speaking once more. "You see, this was just a new idea I had presented to the company. Some were rather excited about the idea, whilst others seemed rather quick to dismiss it."

"And why's that?" A.E.E. tilted his head in minor curiosity. Just from the brief explanations from the father and daughter, his interest was already piqued, and he couldn't deny that he was quite excited to see it be born.

"Well, many state that it's going to be quite the trying task to do, considering that it would require quite the amount of work to actually stage this whole game," the man sighed, before snapping his index finger and thumb. "So for now, the first thing we'll have to deal with is the layout of the game. And that's where you'll come in."

"M-Me?" A.E.E. blinked, once more finding himself washed with an emotion one felt when the odds seemed to be turned against them, or something unexpected had happened; surprised.

"Indeed," the father nodded. "You see, every game has a floor of sorts. Open-world games possess a large map for the player to move around. You have knowledge of that, correct?"

"Yes. Some games are limited to a small map, in which it takes a linear path. The players are required to follow the path, exactly as it is designed," A.E.E. recounted, trying to remember the information programmed into his conscious. "Open-world games, however, allow the player to explore the lands, and do side quests as well. It is much bigger, and requires even more amount of bits and bytes to properly channel everything."

"Wow, you sure do know your stuff," Yui beamed, earning herself a bashful chuckle from the A.I.

"I merely know what I have been programmed with," his words spoke of pure innocence, not holding any form of grudge or self-loathe. "In any case, I live to serve. If there's any way that I could possibly be of help to you, then please."

"Of course," Kayaba nodded, and for the first time since he has existed, he finally caught glimpse of a lithe smile on the man's features, ghostly yet holding so much warmth.

As fitting of a father.

* * *

September 14th 2020

Days had passed ever since they began working on the project. 'Sword Art Online'. Kayaba was putting all his gold on the bet that it would no doubt catch the attention of the masses. Sure, it was still under the process of development, but one could always hold high hopes for something.

Of course, to the company, they had been quite impressed at the thought of just a father and his daughter working on this huge project together, that they too thought of pitching in.

Reason one being that they'd be able to have a share of the profit in the future. And two, they were pretty much excited at the end product, so they too chose to play their cards.

But no one had expected to be working with the first ever 'Artificial Intelligence'.

"And so, this is A.E.E," Yui introduced the A.I. to the other workers, the latter of which were all shocked and intrigued. "He's been a huge help, what with the idea of the mappings and such. My father and I hope that you treat him with much respect."

"O-Of course," the co-founder of the company took a moment to correct his glasses, before flashing a thankful smile at the A.I. "A pleasure to be working with you, A.E.E."

"And the same to me as well," A.E.E. smiled, feeling a strange swelling of joy in his left breast, where his heart was located.

Truly, this was one of the greatest days in his life.

Before, he had been confined to that single computer in Kayaba's office, which was located just a few feet away from their own home. He never had the ability to see the world, but he decided to let it go. Some things weren't just going to happen.

And yet, when it did, he found himself filled with all sorts of new emotions; the aforementioned joy, curiosity, a little bit of caution—anything could happen, after all—and the most of all, ready.

Kayaba and Yui had been working on a sort of machina, designed to possess the traits of humans—excluding any other bodily systems such as digestion, respiration and the like. He was now able to walk onto human grounds, after a few tries of course.

And now, finally understanding how to use his new body, he was already hyped at the thought of helping the company to develop 'SAO'. He was praying hard that Kayaba and Yui's dream be fulfilled, no matter what.

And the day went on.

* * *

September 20th 2020

"So, this will be how the 'Land Anemone' would look like," A.E.E. informed the graphic designers as he presented to them a sketch of what seemed to a purple anemone with pink tentacles.

"Seriously though, doesn't anyone just stop to think that an anemone looks like a d*ck?" One of the men spoke, instantly regretting it as one of his helpers delivered a jab to his side.

"In any case, you may call me if you require any assistance," the machina gave a light bow, before making his way past the many offices.

Here, in the company's building, he wasn't expecting it to be so spacious! Built entirely out of hundreds of rooms, and towering above that it was just enough to touch the clouds, anyone who wanted to get a full layout of the building would surely fail to do so.

But all in all, being a program that had a memory that allowed anyone to install anything inside it, he found himself rather easy to navigate through the entire building, curtesy of his creator, Kayaba.

After a while of walking and casual yet brief exchange of words with some of the people in the building, he finally made it to the room he was looking for. It was a penthouse, built entirely for Kayaba and his daughter. Apparently, it was a gift for them, seeing that they were in-charge of this grand project that would bring in much a profit to the company.

Stepping through the door after scanning his card onto the scanner beside the door, he was met with a beautiful living area complete with couches, a coffee table and a high-resolution LED television. On the ceiling, directly above the living area, was a glass chandelier. There was a flight of stairs beside the TV that led to the second floor, which housed another living area, yet smaller. And from there, there were two bedrooms, both of which possess their own bathrooms.

And of course, the person he was looking for was lounging on the couch as she watched what was on the television; Yui.

"Hmm… So the combat consists of simple actions and a parrying system. I'll have to take note of that," she hummed to herself, only noticing A.E.E's presence once he shut the door. "Oh, A.E.E! Sorry I didn't notice you earlier."

"It's no worries," he chuckled, joining her as he sat beside her. "So, what have you been watching?"

"Nothing really," she shrugged, taking the remote and switching it to some sort of cartoon show. A brief smile that popped on her features immediately disappeared as she switched it to the 'National Geographic' channel. He took notice of this, and concluded that she must have been worried of what he'd think of her.

"Don't worry about it," he reassured her, palming her shoulder with his hand carefully so as to not injure her. His body was made of iron, after all. "No one's going to make fun of you if you watch cartoons."

"Y-You sure?" She weakly asked, voice coming out like a whimper that almost made him want to hug her.

"Of course," he nodded his head, calm smile on his face that managed to soothe her spirits. Deciding to follow her heart, she switched it back to the cartoon show, and a bright smile flashed on her features once more.

"Thanks, A.E.E. It's been years since I last watched this stuff," she thanked him, gently leaning herself against his body as she watched the television. Though he was built of nothing more than metal and other things, he felt more… human than anyone else she knew, only second to her father of course.

He hummed in response, not wishing to break this peaceful silence. It was times like this that he wished could exist forever, as everything else seemed not of importance. He loved this moment even more because Yui was beside him, and everything seemed to be fine.

"…I started singing to my friends," she bashfully admitted, earning herself a surprised look from the machina.

"Really? That's amazing, Yui!" He grinned, his words making her stomach flutter as she looked away from him.

"Y-You think so?" Even when her heart was already over the moon, she still felt a little bit embarrassed.

"I _know_ so, Yui," he sighed. His breath carried no sarcasm, nor did it speak of annoyance. More than that, it was telling her of how proud and happy he felt. "Yui, I know it's an accomplishment just by looking into your eyes."

"My eyes?" She finally had the courage to look back at him, perplexed by his choice of words. A.E.E. was an A.I. capable of emotions and compassion, but she never knew he was able to understand one's emotions just by a few signs. This was a major jump.

"Yes, Yui. Your eyes," as his lips remained curled upwards, his hand had grasped the girl's, much to her embarrassment that her skin instantly flushed. "Your eyes told me just how satisfied and overjoyed you are at finally able to sing out in the open. Tell me, has anyone commented on your singing?"

"W-Well, some say that I still have to remember the lyrics, since I tend to get them wrong," she nervously chuckled, a little part of her wanting this little moment to continue. "But many of them did say that I s-sounded p-p-pretty…"

"Really?" His eyebrows cocked upwards, and it was at that moment that she felt worried at his next words. "Well then, I'm glad."

"W-What?" Yui was completely taken by surprise at his response. She was expecting some sort of criticising from her friend, after all.

…Wait, did she just call him her friend? After all this time… She supposed it was really fitting, despite only being together for sixteen days, or two weeks and two days if you're that troublesome.

"If you're willing, do you think you could sing for me sometimes?" He requested, instantly earning a yelp from the girl.

"S-S-Sing? For _you_?" She began to flutter, heart melting into mush and stomach possessing butterflies. "N-N-No! I could never!"

"O-Oh…" His smile seemed to drop. So too did his spirit. "I-I see… Forgive me for asking you of such thing. I understand, you're not comfortable around me just yet."

"What?!" Her cry was so quick and loud that A.E.E. couldn't help but jump back, blinking in surprise at the sudden response. "That's stupid! Besides father, you're the person I feel most comfortable around!"

"I-I see," he nodded, blushing vividly that matched the girl's own as he found himself suddenly nervous and giddy. What was this..? "But really, Yui, you don't have to push yourself if you don't want to—"

"No! No, I can do it!" She pleaded this time, slapping her palms against each other, giving her the look of a person that was begging. "Please, A.E.E, I can do it!"

"…" He said nothing, but even that smile that formed couldn't be held back anymore, later turning into a soft chuckle that warmed her heart more than anything else. It was the same laugh he always had to break the awkward tension. "Alright, Yui. If you'd please."

"O-Okay!" She nodded, her black hair swivelling from side to side. "Make sure you listen to me, alright?"

"Of course I will," the machina corrected his seating to make sure that the human girl was more comfortable. "Technically, I did ask you to sing. And I'm going to enjoy this moment."

Yui was practically beaming at this point. Never had she been asked to sing for them. Sure, her friends dared her, but this just didn't feel the same way as the first time she ever did raise her voice.

And here, sitting beside a machine who was without doubt of the closest people to her, one that stirred new, yet not unwelcome emotions in her heart and guts.

And with a smile, she parted her lips, and her beautiful voice broke the silence.

* * *

September 30th 2020

It had been a long time since they started working on the 'Sword Art Online' project, and needless to say, it had been such a fruitful experience.

More ideas were pooled into this little project, and every one of it made it all the more richer—except that one idea from a creepy otaku that the girls' chests would jiggle more frequently in order to defy the laws of physics.

Luckily, the company managed to get him kicked out of the project before A.E.E. would even begin to learn about the dirty thoughts. They already liked him the way he was already, after all.

In any case, everything seemed fine for now. New monsters, weapons and armoury, perfect synchronisation with the human's consciousness. Things were going swimmingly, as mentioned earlier, but then…

"I'm telling you, this game requires billions of yen!" One of the managers of the company—seeing that it had multiple managers for some reason—hissed, clenching the papers in his hand so hard that they were beyond re-straightening.

"But we've gotten no complaints up until now," Kayaba spoke back. Unlike the manager, his tone was calm and cold, calculating—just like a tactician; to win the battle without sacrificing too much of his cards.

"Well, yeah! But now, seeing how long we've been working on the game, we'll be needing a lot to pay for the people's paychecks!" The manager pointed out, putting in even more venom in his words than before.

"B-But we've only been working on this project for twenty days," A.E.E. reasoned, wanting to maintain the peace before things went south. "Or, if you'd like, two weeks and six days."

"Oh, shut up, you good-for-nothing piece of scrap!" Out of blind anger did the man spat, rather furiously to add to it, and—

*Smack!*

"Ghaa!" No one was prepared to see Yui, _Yui_ of all people, to deliver a painful jab to that man's face, strong enough that it may have dislocated tooth and bruised the jaw.

"A.E.E. is nothing like you said!" She denied, as vehement as her own father had ever seen before in his own life, of which this was the first time she had ever behaved this way. "He is a kind, considerate and friendly person that has ever lived! He's better than you in every form there is!"

"Except looks," the A.I. weakly reasoned, his slight chuckle offset by the loud huff of disagreement from the girl.

"You win in that category too," she smiled briefly, sending a burst of embarrassment in the A.I's being, before she swapped her attention to the manager, quick to anger. "And you'd better not say anything anymore! I don't care what it is! A.E.E's a good person through and through, and I won't accept you, or anyone for the matter to make fun of my friend!"

Of course, from this sudden outburst, each person had their own separate reactions.

Kayaba had lived with her his whole life the moment he took her from his wife's hands, whom now could be visited in the local cemetery. Every year, they would visit her together, and he had known enough to say that his daughter was never one for violence. She was always trying to make peace, no matter the situation.

Just like the day she learned of her mother's passing; she didn't take it well, but she held strong.

So of course, seeing his daughter hit someone out of sheer willpower was shocking, even for someone like him, who was supposed to be a rock.

A.E.E. on the other hand felt honoured that someone was looking out for him. Even without being programmed to do so, he was always ready to accept the blunt words from some of the workers that thought he didn't sit well with them. Forgive, but do not forget. He wasn't ready to accept the last part of it, but he was more than willing to allow himself to be the target of their loathsome spouts.

So when he saw how Yui had singlehandedly, quite literally, shut the manager up, he felt a sense of gratitude well up in him.

And finally… The manager. How did he feel?

He was pissed.

"Y-You'll regret this!" The manager swore, taking step after step back to where he came from. "Just you watch, this whole project will become a bust! Just watch, I dare you..!"

Slowly, his voice trailed off, finally replaced with calm silence and a heavy tension.

This was bad. If the project were to be shut down, then all their hard work would have been for nothing. This, too, counted the fact that many people had pitched in the project, and it would definitely stir an outrage. Plus, money was a given here, and seeing how much money was invested in this whole project, there would be much hell to pay for.

But even so…

"Come on," both Kayaba and A.E.E. heard the girl call for them, before she turned around to flash them her lovable, awards-winning smile. "We've got work to do!"

She didn't give up. She couldn't give up.

And it was enough to bolster their determinations, as both father and creation gave a salute to the girl, much to her joy.

* * *

October 11th—2020

It was a success.

"Yeah!" Multiple men and women laughed and cheered at the accomplishment that they have just achieved.

They did it.

"Woo hoo!" The building rumbled with noise from the ecstatic people, as they watched the game become a dream-come-true.

The game was completed.

"We finished it…" A.E.E. gasped, lacking air to even say anything else—not that he needed the air, since he was a machine and was built without a respiration system.

"Yeah!" Yui beside him giggled, tackling him with a powerful hug without a care of the world. "I told you that we could do it!"

"And to think that we almost gave up on this project…" Kayaba sighed, before the second smile A.E.E. had ever seen the man put on flashed on his features. "Truly, this is indeed a good turn of luck."

"Man, people are so gonna' love this game!" The girl laughed even louder, shaking the machina as she continued hugging him. "Ooh, even I can't wait to play the game anymore!"

"P-Patience, Yui," the machina lightly chuckled, only released once the girl noticed for just how long she had been keeping him in this tight embrace. "Trust me, we'll be able to play the game soon enough. You have my words on that."

"Well, it better happen," she pouted, lips pursed in a way that it seemed to increase her cuteness. "Seriously though, I can't believe we finished this in less than a year! Most people would've taken even two years!"

"Indeed. And it's because we worked together," A.E.E. smiled, putting a comforting hand on his creator's shoulder as he hugged the girl with his free arm. "All of us did."

"And because Yui sees you as the person who's worked so much, she intends to give you a reward," Kayaba bluntly informed the machina, earning a shocked look from the two in question. "Oh please, Yui. I knew from the get-go."

"T-T-That's not fair!" She whined, flailing her arms in the air, very annoyed that she couldn't keep it a secret. "I wanted it to be a surprise for A.E.E!"

"Well, you should have been more careful then," Kayaba snickered, the machina counting this as the third smile he's seen on the man's face pop up. "In any case, A.E.E. already knows. Best you tell him what it is rather than keep him in the dark."

The girl struggled as she searched herself for an answer yet somewhat disappointed when no idea came to mind.

"W-W-Well, just as my father said…" She slowly began, not looking in the machina's eyes due to the embarrassment. "I thought we could… have fun next week.I mean, we could go out together, just the two of us! And we'd be able to a lot of things together! I mean..!"

"Peace, Yui. It sounds like a wonderful idea," his calming chuckle instantly removed the tension on the little girl's shoulders, instead replacing it with a new hope.

"R-Really?" She seemed to calm down, and a hopeful look was formed on her features. Just this alone was enough to tell the other two that she had been waiting for this chance a long time now. "Y-You really think it's okay..?"

"Why shouldn't I? You haven't given me any reason to deny your request, you know," A.E.E. grinned, feeling somewhat accomplished now that he has managed to tease the girl for a change. "Really, Yui. I wouldn't mind going with you next week."

"Next week!" She repeated, but with even more vigour, as she stuck out her pinky. "Pinky promise."

"Pinky promise," he chuckled, interlocking his own finger with hers, thus sealing this little contract between the two.

* * *

October 18th—2020

It was the day they were having their first date.

It was especially hard, if she had to admit, just to get her father's permission. Of course, she understood, being that Kayaba really loved her very much, and had wanted nothing more than for her to stay safe.

With his permission, both her and A.E.E. left to the city, opting to spend time together.

Stealing a glance over the A.I, she couldn't help but notice how well he was dressed. Wearing a white dress shirt underneath a black jacket, with a blue trousers and black sneakers, she'd have to say that, despite the simple look he had, he was looking quite dashing.

"Hey A.E.E?" She called. The A.I. looked to her, tilting his head in the process.

"Yes?" He blinked, wondering why they suddenly stopped.

"Hee hee… Well, how do I look?" She asked, stepping back as she clasped her hands behind her back.

He gulped, suddenly feeling the heat rush to his face. Indeed, she looked quite beautiful, if not more with the dress enhancing her look. A short white dress with decorative patterns that almost looked like snowflakes. Her sleeves wrap around her upper arms, giving him full view of her porcelain-like skin. She also wore black gloves and brown boots, much to his confusion.

But even so, he couldn't complain, because she looked pretty.

"Y-You look great," he smiled, whistling as he turned his gaze away from her, whom merely giggled at his compliment. As bashful as he ever is. "S-So, where do you want to go?"

"Well," she drawled, tapping her lips with her index finger. "I was thinking of going to the theatres. There was a movie I wanted to watch with you."

"Really? Right off the bat?" He cocked his eyebrows in surprise. "I mean, I'm not complaining, but I thought you liked outdoor activities more?"

"True," she nodded slowly, before clapping her hands together. "Ooh, I know! Let's go tour the city!"

"Tour the city?" He blinked, looking to Tokyo in the distance and gulping. 'This would indefinitely be a tour…'

"Come on, now! No dilly-dallying!" She smiled, taking him by the arm and dragging her with her.

'Well, no time like now I suppose,' he smiled, allowing her to drag him off.

All in all? This was going to be a fun experience.

* * *

*Crack!* *Gulp!*

"Whoo!" She blew air out of the mouth after biting down on that scrumptious crab meat, heat slipping in between from here to there. "T-This is good!"

"And yet, you forgot to blow before you bit," the A.I. chuckled, watching as the girl try to bite on another crab meat. Thankfully, due to his warning, she managed to blow on it this time. "How does it taste like?"

"Hmm… I'd say it has a pretty rich taste. I can taste all sorts of herbs on this one," she remarked, not noticing the waiters eavesdropping on her little comments.

'Of course they'd like to know. They're worried she might say anything bad about it,' he mused. "Come now, tell me. What other things can you make out?"

"Perfect amount of spiciness, I'd say. Good amount of black pepper and…" She paused for a moment, picking apart the taste from the crab. "Sesame oil?"

Even when the restaurant was loud as heck, A.E.E. couldn't help but chuckle in response to the waiters getting shocked at how she managed to solve the secrets behind their little dish.

"Well, do you have anywhere else in plan?" He asked, gentle as he ever could be. They had already gone to the park to unwind, to the arcade to play—she was impressed by how good he was in the games, all around the streets for absolutely no reason except for sightseeing, and finally here.

And yet, he was fortunate he had no such thing as 'energy', lest he be tired after all the running with the exuberant girl.

"Hmm… Well, we've gone to a lot of places already, so I thought we could go to the movies now," she grinned, cutely if he might add.

"Ahh… Well, if that is what you wish," he obliged, ever the loyal A.I. he was. The machina stood from his place, looking back to the girl. "I'm going to go pay. Don't worry, they won't clean up until you're done. Just finish eating, alright?"

"You got it!" She saluted, earning herself slight chuckles from the A.I. as he walked to the counter.

'Thank goodness Kayaba gave me a lot of funds…' He mentally sighed, sweat dropping down the side of his face. 'I swear, I wonder how that girl can eat so much, yet gain so little weight…'

* * *

After all that, they had been walking in the city mall, looking around for some trinkets to bring home.

Yui, being the loving daughter she is, was looking hard for anything that her father may have liked. With much help from the A.E.E, she picked out a silver pocket watch, told by the machina that her father had lost his old one a long time ago.

"So, do you want anything?" She asked, not taking her eyes off of him. It wasn't that she was worried that he'd go missing. 'I just want to, I suppose…'

"To be honest, not really," he shook his head, taking his eyes off of one of the stores in the distance. It was a jewellery store, with the most intricate designs he had ever seen before.

"Really?" She smirked, too slyly that he couldn't hold back his nervous shudder.

"I hope that you're not going to make me wear a choker…' He gulped, unable to even picture himself wearing the thing. Just by how it sounded, he didn't have the stomach to put on himself, picturing the thing actually choking him.

"Oh, don't worry! I wasn't thinking about you getting those sort of things," she chuckled, much to the machina's embarrassment. "I was wondering if you wanted something. A watch, maybe?"

"No thanks. I don't need any gifts," he shook his head, calm smile pleasantly easing her bewilderment. "This little adventure with you is a gift enough."

Immediately, she blushed at his words, turning away so to hide her little shame. He tilted his head at her reaction, opting to let it go lest he gets a beating—of course, Yui would never do that on him.

But quick as he looked to his surroundings, he could see the store off in the corner of his peripherals.

"…Umm, Yui?" The girl looked at him in response. "Can you find a place for us to sit? I have someplace to go. I promise you, it'll be quick."

"Oh, okay…" She nodded slowly, flashing a brief smile at him before finding a place to go.

"Alright," pulling in air through his nostrils, he made his way past the ever-growing crowd and into the store, wanting not to waste any more time than necessary.

By far, this was one of the most beautiful stores he had ever stepped in, if his memory served well. Fancied with a sliding door and glass walls that allowed view into the room, it also had a chandelier that illuminated the golden-tiled store. Multiple jewellery were on display, encased in glass to protect them from getting stolen.

"Difficult…" He muttered to himself, noticing just how many people there were. Not willing to give up just yet, he skilfully stepped past each and every person until he came across the cashier. "Raj."

"Hmm?" An Indian man with a top hat turned around, fixing his glasses before his eyes widened in surprise. "Ah! A.E.E, good to see you!"

"Same here," the machina nodded, smiling in return. "I came here to pick up the gift. You have it done already, right?"

"Oh, sure do! Hang on," Raj grinned, before turning to what seemed to be a Caucasian teenager speaking in a language the machina recognised spoken by the German. Immediately, the Caucasian retreated into the backroom.

"You speak German?" The machina's eyebrows cocked in surprise. He never knew his Indian friend here was capable of it.

"Well, the kid was raised in Germany. He's still practicing with other languages, but I thought I'd speak with him in German so that he'd be able to feel okay around here," the Indian man smiled, before he leaned closer to the machina. "But enough about me. I saw you were walking with a girl. Lover, eh~?"

"N-Nonsense!" The machina blushed a storm, vehemently denying the accusation. "We were just… going on a play date, is all!"

"Well, kid, the word _date_ says it all," the Indian man laughed, stopping once he saw the Caucasian teenager walking towards him. He took the box from him, before saying his thanks. The teenager nodded before going to entertain another customer. "Well, kid's doing a fine work, at least. And anyways! Here's your thing."

"Thanks," A.E.E. smiled at his friend as he took the black box from the latter's hands, depositing it into a plastic bag he had folded away and brought with him. "So, how much is it?"

"Well, there's a promotion going on today, so it'll be…" Raj began counting numbers on a calculator he had pulled out from his pocket. "Ten thousand yen."

"Alright," the machina nodded, pulling out the appropriate amount of money and giving it to the man. "Thanks again, friend."

"Yeah, so come again!" The Indian's smile was sincere and refreshing, and the A.I. found no reason not to return it.

Waving his goodbyes, A.E.E. stepped out of the store, watching in surprise as another wave of humans flooded the store. He whistled, now understanding how Raj became such a rich guy in the first place.

Scouting the area as deftly as a hawk searching for its prey, he finally found Yui sitting on a stone bench under a massive tree. Smiling, he made his way towards her.

* * *

'Maybe he doesn't like my company..?' The girl asked herself, looking down as she twiddled with her fingers, unable to get the picture of the machina out of her mind.

She supposed that it made sense. She had been dragging him all around the place, not even stopping to give him time to rest. He must have been tired of her, and probably left somewhere to rest up.

'B-But that's crazy!' She fought with her threatening thoughts, mind frantically begging that it didn't come to that. 'T-This is A.E.E. we're talking about! There's no way he'd just leave like that!'

Just as she said that, pictured of her time spent with the machina flashed through her mind, including the first time she met him as an A.I. in a computer.

All those memories meant so much to her, and she found herself enjoying his presence just as much as she enjoyed her father's, but on a more intimate manner, even if he didn't realise it.

'S-So, does he like me back..?' She thought once more, stomach feeling heavy at the question. 'W-What if he…'

She was scared to finish the sentence, shaking her head furiously that gave the other people the thought that she was having some sort of whiplash.

'Maybe he does like me! He j-just is too nervous to show it! Yeah!' She reasoned with herself, looking down to the ground, not noticing that a familiar person was getting closer to her. 'Darn it… How do I—'

"Earth to Yui?" A familiar voice. Oh shoot.

"WHAAH!" She jumped, screaming in the process that it drew the attention of everyone nearby.

"A-Ahaha! Nothing to see here, people!" A.E.E. nervously laughed as he held up his hand, watching as the people slowly turned their attention away. He sighed, before looking to the girl with an apologetic expression. "Sorry that I scared you…"

"Y-You're not mad?" She blinked, bewildered at his simple response. 'I thought he would've hit me, for making a scene…'

"Ahaha… I could never be mad," he chuckled, not realising that in a future time, said emotion would've been his drive to save the living girl before him. "But in any case, I wanted to show you something. It's something really important."

"Oh? Do tell," discarding her previous melancholic thoughts in favour of this new interest of said item, all she could do was feel giddy at the item's reveal.

"Patience, Yui. It's not going anywhere," he laughed, not noticing the way her face burned up in shame. "You can be quite a child at times, not that I'm complaining."

"R-Rude!" She pouted, crossing her arms as she fumed to herself, all the while with the machina giving off his usual chuckle.

"Alright, alright," he pulled out a plastic bag, before withdrawing a box from it.

"Hey, I know that type of box. It's the one from the 'Royal Diamonds' store, isn't it?" She asked, as surprised as she is curious.

"Indeed," he nodded, brushing his fingers along the face of the box, before pulling off the top.

Yui gasped at the intricate necklace lay hidden in the box. Gentle silver woven into a fine chain shone radiant even from its dark container, with the single black gem on the end giving off a beauty she had never known to exist in the darkest colour there was.

"W-Wow, this looks nice…" She breathed out, in awe with the sheer beauty of the little trinket. "But wait, is this why you asked for your leave earlier?"

"Y-Yeah," he nodded, blowing softly out to calm the magical butterflies that popped in his body—considering that he doesn't have a digestive system, meaning that he doesn't have a stomach, but argh! Screw that! "You see, I actually bought this… for you."

"W-What…" Yui gasped, overwhelmed by his single words that she was now shaking with disbelief, figuratively I mean.

"Well, I wanted to find a way to thank you, and… I thought, that words wouldn't be enough…" He forced himself to be steady as he spoke, not noticing how she was looking into his nervous eyes this time. "I… enjoyed the time we spent together. The times with Kayaba, and just us. It would forever be the greatest treasure in my heart. But it could never become a physical item… So I wanted to get this, to thank you."

Not even bothering to say anything, she just stood, as stiff as a tree as she watched the machina slip in the necklace from behind her neck, careful touches that left her skin pulsating with electrical impulses and heat that left her wanting more.

"So there," he smiled, face sporting a bright flush that threatened to melt his insides. "It… looks great on you, by the way."

"R-Really?" Her voice came out soft and slow, as she looked down to the necklace that hung around her neck.

"Y-Yeah," he nodded. "Listen Yui, I want you to know how much I'm happy to be here with you. You and Kayaba have both given me a life… I want to thank you for it. I don't think there would ever be a way I could actually repay you, but please, can I stay with you? For as long as our hearts give us life?"

His gentle words sounded like music, singing a melody of chimes and bells, beautiful and sweeter than any operas she's heard so far. It was so touching, that, as she held her breast, he could feel her heart beat faster than before, temperature increasing so much that she found anything but discomforting.

And that's why…

"Y-You idiot…" He found himself hurt and taken aback when fresh tears began forming in her eyes, before they dripped to the floor.

"Y-Yui? W-Wait, I'm sorry for what I said!" He grew frantic almost in an instance, holding her shoulders in an attempt to calm her down, fearful that his words may have hurt her. "L-L-Look, I'll take back what I said! If it's too much trouble, I—"

"That's not it!" She shook her head, confusing the machina more than he could take.

"What do you mean?" He asked, blinking in slight confusion.

"I-It's just," she sniffed, hard enough so that the tears would go back into her eyes. "I lo—"

But it was too late. The person behind them, whom she alone just noticed, was about to pull the trigger, forcing her to push the machina aside.

*Bang!*  
"YHHAA!"

The sound of gunshot filled the entire mall, accompanied a moment later by the harsh screaming from the crowd.

Immediately, they scattered, looking for an exit to be spared of an early death.

The man held his gun firm, aimed at a dead person, before he turned around. He could see security guards armed with tasers and specially designed rifles enter from all corners. Cursing under his breath, he signalled to his friend from one of the stores to do something.

Taking the signal well, the second person tossed a lit candle onto a trail of liquid, later revealed to be oil, as it quickly served as a medium for the dangerous fire to travel, growing steadily larger, before it finally conquered the area around it.

And in that moment, A.E.E's eyes were wide with horror, watching as the girl before him slowly fall to the ground, time almost feeling like it stopped to increase his fear. Water was forming in his eyes, but why..? Oh.

And in that moment, Yui felt something wet from her left hip, accompanied with something scarlet beginning to leak out of her mouth. It tasted like… iron.

*Thud!*

And she fell.

"Y-Y-Y…" And she could see A.E.E, albeit rather hazily, as he began stuttering, before he finally dropped to his knees, screaming louder than ever. "YUI!"

 ***Fire Emblem Awakening - And what if I can't? What if I'm not worthy of her ideals? (Play Song)***

It was a nightmare.

"Y-Yui..!" From all the screaming, his voice was now a husk of its previous magnificence; weak and soft, accompanied with a slight sense of dryness.

How did it come to his?

He had followed exactly as his whole plan was supposed to go; both him and Yui went out to the mall together, played some games, got a bite and were about to go to the movies, before he had chosen to give her the necklace he had bought. Everything was a success, so how did things even turn south..?

"This can't be happening…" Off to the side, it looked as if the girl's father was faring much better than he was. As expected of Kayaba Akihiko; he was a man prepared for any dire situations.

No matter how dire.

But even so, he never expected his daughter to be dying. Was this a… no, this wasn't a nightmare. This was _reality_ , and it was cold.

A.E.E. remembered it so vividly, how he and Yui were holding hands as they were walking in the mall, enjoying their sweet time together. There was so many people there, there couldn't have been a way for it to go wrong.

And he was proven wrong, by fate itself.

Just as the security guards and police were about to make quick work on the two troublemakers, men with gas masks adorned over their faces suddenly rushed into the scene, carrying all sorts of firearms before they began unloading all rounds onto the enforcers.

It was a slaughter, a war of bullets as the police and security fought against the terrorists.

What the hell was this? Didn't they see the father, daughter and machina?! Didn't they see that someone was bloody _dying_?!

"A-A.E.E…" Said machina perked up at the familiar voice calling his name, of which he instantly leaned in closer to her face, water beginning to be formed on his eye's surface, turning them slightly glassy.

"Y-Yui…" He whispered, wanting to call the girl's father before he was stopped by a tug of his hands, of which he chose to focus on the injured girl. "Y-Y-You're going to be fine! I promise you..!"

"R-Really..?" Her already weak words, accompanied with the strained body movement she was trying to make already added to the misery the machina was feeling. How was this remotely possible? "I-I can't wait… There was this new dress I always wanted to show you…"

"H-H-How did it look like..?" He nearly choked on his own breath, able to voice out his question in hopes of taking her attention off her current condition.

"It was… white…" She simply answered, eyes beginning to dilate and lose colour. His own widened at the sight; they were losing her. "It had a sash at the front… It wasn't frilly at all… You would've loved it…"

"I-I would have…" He chuckled bitterly, taking her lithe hands in his. Only then did she suddenly feel secure. Safe from all the world's troubles.

Of course, this was what she felt all this while. Being with the machina had always forced her to wonder what had been going on with her, that the answer came the moment she was dying.

"A.E.E…" She called out weakly once more, the machina quick to look at her in the eyes. His black ones met the same shade, yet lifeless ones. "Do you know… what I've always felt… all this time..?"

"N-No…" He shook his head, feeling his stomach churn and twist in such a painful manner, that he didn't like the feeling at all. It didn't signify that he was happy, nor did it try to prove that he was ashamed. It felt terrible. What was this..?

"I…" She barely whispered, and he had to lean in just to hear her final words. And when those last words made contact with his ears, every of his flood dams broke down.

 _"Love you."_

"A-Ahhaua..!" Immediately, just like a child who lost his mother's gracing touch, he was exposed to the emotion one would feel when they were pained beyond words; grief. Despair. Sorrow. All other emotions mixed in, and he found himself a sobbing wreck.

Why..? Why was he crying over a girl who had just died from a gun shot,? All this while, he had never been programmed to understand such thing. Of course, he had the concept down, but never knew it firsthand.

And here he was, screaming and crying and choking and praying to God that she came back into his arms, smiling as she usually did when she fell asleep or when she was awake.

He felt horrible. He wanted this new emotion to go away, but he knew it was impossible.

Yui, the girl who he too had fallen in love with, the girl who stood by his side and protected him when someone tried to hurt him, the girl who spared a smile for him whenever he felt lonely, the who taught him so much about the world…

The one who was his family. She was dead.

He loved her all this time. But did it really matter? He always thought about her, wanting her to be happy… He had done everything this whole time he existed in the human plane, just to keep her smiling.

And here she was, as he cradled her in his arms, with his tears dropping down from his cheeks and onto her beautiful face, her smile still remained… How?

"God, why…" He sobbed, heart and mind beyond repair. It was as if someone had torn a large hole in where he once felt, leaving nothing but emptiness. "Why Yui..?"

"War is never fair, A.E.E," he heard the girl's father speak behind him, before he felt the man's hand on his shoulder. "She did what she did, because she believed it to be love. She took the bullet for you, because she saw you as a person of hope."

"Hope..? _Hope_?!" His first ever outburst, and he was terrified of himself. And yet, he continued, gritting his teeth as he bore this pain. "All I have done, is bring suffering to this family! I should have never existed! I only brought trouble to you and Yui! You call me a person of hope, look where it got Yui at! She's gone, Kayaba, and it's all my fault!"

"You're made a grave mistake in your rebuttal, A.E.E," the man had adopted a tone not of a man threatening another person, but of a father that was teaching his children a lesson. "You were never at fault. And you _are_ a person of hope."

"How..? Damn it, just tell me, Kayaba…" The machina pleaded, eyes puffy and red from all the crying and face having trails from the tears that leaked from his eyes.

"You have given light to the darkness that had possessed our hearts long ago," the man's cryptic words did nothing to ease the machina's heart, but A.E.E. kept his tongue. "You helped Yui get over her fear of singing in public. You made her realise how fun and bright this world can be. And you've even given me a reason to smile more as well."

"R-Really..?" He blinked, slightly in disbelief at his creator's words. The last part was undoubtedly the most unfathomable.

"Know this, A.E.E. You will not gain my _forgiveness_ , because you've done _no sin_ to me nor my daughter in the first place," Kayaba's voice was the same, loving tone he had used with his daughter. So much so, that the machina almost quaked in his boots.

"And w-what do I do now..?" It was the final question he had on his mind, lost now that the girl he loved was gone forever.

"You live for me," his simple words widened the machina's eyes, as the latter stared at the father, seeing no hint of jest or tease. "I will have you become a new person, A.E.E. And you will live. Prove to the world that there is always a light in the darkest corners of the world."

In all the times he's spent with the father, never had he seen such sorrow being emanated from him. It made sense; his daughter just died after all. And yet, he continued fighting the pain, looking to the future with a drive and plan in mind.

"…What will you have of me?" The machina asked, one more time, before everything for him reset.

His love of Yui, his memories of Kayaba, the days they've spent together, the times they worked on the game, her death.

"You will fight me," Kayaba's words rung in the air, so much steel put into them that it sounded stronger than the flames that licked the cracking buildings around them, or the sound of gunshot to the machina's torso.

Looking down, it hurt a lot. And it made sense.

Kayaba pulled the trigger. He had a glock.

"You will die…" His words slowly dulled, and everything became a messy pile of colours, sound and sensation. "You will be with my daughter once more… You will protect everyone. You will become their hero."

 _"Fight."_

And his life began anew.

 ***Fire Emblem Awakening - And what if I can't? What if I'm not worthy of her ideals? (End Song)***

* * *

Present—November 30th 2024—Floor 75—Dungeon

"Move out of the way!" Steeled voice that displayed so much anger that anyone would have ever thought that the lad was capable of, he flicked his sword bright before bringing it into a powerful swing—

*Krngh!*

Effectively slaying the 'Lizardman Lord' in one strike. Not even bothering to slow down, he ran forwards, saving everyone the effort of dealing with the monsters as he struck one after the other, leaving no traces behind.

"Man, he must really be in a bad mood…" Agil grimaced, feeling slightly terrified at the sight of the lad.

Everyone understood of course. Ever since the Mechon had taken his daughter away from him, he had been hasty to get to the final floor in hopes of confronting them. Klein was unable to pry more info from the lad, but he himself was kind enough to give some on his own.

"I said before, I'm going to face my mistakes as a father," the lad was calm enough to speak during this brief moment, right before they began marching off, until a monster had threatened to kill one of the foot soldiers, of which he took care of it relatively quickly.

Ever since then, no one had the guts to even get close to him. Of course, he would've been accepting of their presence, but by the way he seemed to be rushing things, no doubt he would get annoyed if they acted in a way that would stall his progress.

Multiple 'Ruin Kobold Sentinel' had appeared, all donning the same helmet and armed with a puffy-end mace. They rushed the lad at the same time—

*Shin!* *Kngh!*

Yet none of them had enough strength to resist his attack, as he merely lunged himself forwards at an incredible speed and impressive power, breaking through their defences and sending them all to their deaths.

"Come on, just a bit more," they heard Adam's voice, loud and clear, with a large hint of seriousness. The most serious he had ever been, was when he'd be keeping someone away from his own lunch, which was close to a fun situation. Not this…

"Adam, everyone else are tired. We need to stop to rest," Asuna, his wife, approached him, placing a comforting hand on him. She had expected him to swat her hand away, but he only sighed from the contact.

"Yeah… Yeah, you're right," he nodded his head, no sense of reluctance despite his current predicament. "Sorry. I… got carried away."

"Don't worry about it," Klein grinned, crossing his arms as he walked beside the lad. "I get that you're in a huge trouble. Those bastards had the audacity to take Yui away from you… I promise you, all of us will help you get her back."

"Thanks, for not giving up on me," he smiled, ready to say more, until a throbbing pain made itself present in his head. At first, it seemed fine…

"Ghkaa!" Before it suddenly sent a crack through his skull, sound being broken as his mind shattered.

"A-Adam!" Not knowing what to do, the samurai did the best he could and gripped his friend's shoulders, trying his best to wake him up. "Dude! Are you alright?!"

"Ghha..!" The pain, it didn't go away. What was this..?

And slowly, brief flashes of memories began painting themselves into his mind; the first time he woke up, the world he had woke up in, the faces he met; the handsome man and beautiful girl, the father and daughter, the day he walked the human world, the times they worked on the project, the…

"…She died…" He whispered to himself, wide eyes that displayed so much fear being overshadowed by his hair.

He remembered it now. He knew what he was. He knew his old name as well; A.E.E. But then, why was he remembering all of this now?

"H-Hey, get a grip!" Klein shook him by the shoulders once more, prompting the lad to look up from the ground. "Are you alright? You suddenly clutched your head and began screaming like a nut job all of a sudden."

"I-I'm fine…" The lad whispered shakily, feeling a little bit of side-effects coming in the form of minor headaches. "It's just… I just got a little message."

"A message?" Asuna repeated, sounding rather curious by what he meant.

"Yeah…" Her husband nodded, features softening by a bit. "I know now why they hate me so much… They could've just left her alone though."

* * *

Meanwhile—Floor 100—Ruby Palace

It was finally the day.

True to his word, Yalbadaoth had brought his captive to the massive platform to carry out their battles.

Yui was slightly nervous—Scratch that, she was terrified. She had never fought against a 'Boss Monster' before, let alone on her own! But even so, she knew her father wouldn't back down from the fight, no matter how dire it was. She'd do the same then.

"So… What are the rules?" She asked, looking around the platform and finding herself quite amazed with what she saw. The sky was endless, and so close too! Hell, the clouds were literally touching the platform!

 **"A simple duel would be fine, though I'd like it if we could avoid killing the other off,"** the golden Mechon pulled out his sword, which was jagged and resembled some sort of cactus. **"However, I will permit the use of items if you so need to. I will undoubtedly be one of your biggest challenges."**

'Second biggest…' She mentally smirked, remembering just how hard her training with her father had been before he married—she thought she could've died, even if he wasn't going full-on. "Alright. Any other rules?"

 **"None so far,"** Yalbadoth chuckled, giving his weapon one simple swing before correcting his stance. **"Well then, are you prepared?"**

"I am," Yui nodded, before getting into position, taking a look at herself so that he footing was not off. 'The key to success is to be proper in the preparations…'

And they stood there, on opposite ends of the battlefield, with a distance of fifteen feet between them, ready to gain the first strike.

"Three…" Yui counted down on her own, checking every of her surroundings to get a mental strategy on field advantage and the like.

 **"Two,"** Yalbadaoth was effectively looking much more calmer on the outside, but even he couldn't deny the excitement pulsing on his inside. How he longed for a good fight!

"One…" Her breath hitched in her throat, she narrowed her eyes and kept all focus on the Mechon before her, who merely stood his ground, doing nothing.

And then…

 ***Final Fantasy XV—Stand Your Ground (Play Song)***

"Hyaa!" Getting the first jump, she rushed forwards, kicking dust in the air as she closed on her opponent, blade in hand and tactics in mind.

 **"Don't get your hopes high up,"** Yalbadaoth smirked, bringing his sword up, before swinging it down faster than a guillotine.

*Chin!*

Both his sword and Yui met each other in a stalemate, and she had proposed to parry his strike—

*Swooh!*

'His tail…' Before she watched as his mechanical tail swung at her, of which she instantly took an evasive approach, bending low and stumbling backwards to avoid herself getting lashed. 'Dangerous…'

 **"Come now! That couldn't have been your best!"** The Mechon cackled, swiping his grand sword against her. Quickly, she held up her sword to parry his own, before dodging once more to avoid the tail slam.

Over and over did this occur, as she was forced back due to his tail. With nary a choice, she continued blocking his attacks before moving out of the second attacker, clearly annoyed at the part.

"Hragh!" With much practice on jumping, she leapt up into the air, spinning multiple times before her sword met Yalbadaoth's, entering a competition of dominance for a brief moment, before he propelled her upwards into the air.

 **"Hrrha!"** Not missing a beat, the Mechon boosted himself off the ground, ignoring air resistance as his metallic body merely brushed the particles away, stopping just a mere inch above her—

*Chin!*

"Gha..!" Before she felt her abdomen get slammed by the golden Mechon's sword, forced to the ground as gravity helped speed up the process—

*Thud!*

And finally ending with her body dropping onto the platform, the force behind the strike enough to create crater as she made contact with it.

"H-Haah…" Panting, she shook her head, before running forwards, ignoring the pain in her rib.

 **"My, my. Hasty, aren't you?"** He laughed, one that held pride and obnoxiousness before flying down to meet her. **"Let's see how you like this!"**

Not understanding the meaning behind his little message, she watched as little projectiles in the shape of a cylinder and a cone on the top escape the back of his chassis, before their ends suddenly began releasing fire as they flew towards her.

'Missiles..!' She grimaced, stopping just a moment to ponder on how she knew the names of these man-made weapons, before she dismissed it in favour of evading them.

Missiles, in the words of a person she… remembered vaguely, weren't always the smartest of the bunch. Judging from the way they were following after her, she had only need to remove herself from their scanners, thus allowing them to merely travel forwards until they meet a wall or explode in time.

Plan already in mind, she leapt up into the air, high enough that it forced the missiles to lose sight of their target and merely travelling forwards. A while later, and she watched them burst into a fireworks display.

This was hard… But she couldn't give up now. She turned heels, dashing forwards with 'Rebellion' in her right hand to meet Yalbadaoth.

Not pausing once, she willed strength into her sword, activating a 'Sword Skill' in hopes that it'd shatter through the Mechon's powerful defence.

 **"Hmph. No tricks of yours will overpower me,** " he smirked, but no signs of could truly be made as his robotic skull allowed no change to look.

"I can, and will!" She yelled back in determination, watching the aura around her sword swivel from a whitish hue of blue, to an immensely crimson red. Done with this process, she lunged herself forwards. 'Stinger!'

And the Mechon brought up his sword—

*Ching!*

 **"What the?!"** But had not expected this powerful blow from such a simple 'Sword Skill', much less from a little girl, to have penetrated his towering sword.

"Hyagh!" Catching the moment—hehe, get the joke? You should have—she dealt blow after blow, swiping at metal and breaking every part that were joined together, held by gears and screw that were loosened from each tremor he gained from her hits.

 **"Not bad… for a start!"** Mad and shocked as he was, he still had the ability of keeping his composure, proving to be very useful as he didn't lose his focus. He wielded his sword and struck against the platform, causing minor shockwaves that forced Yui to lose her balance, before she merely crept downwards and resumed dashing once more. **"Good reflexes, it seems."**

Not missing a beat, she assumed a defensive stance, blocking the Mechon's sword and tail, before lunging herself at him once more, shoving Yalbadaoth by an inch backwards, effectively forcing him to stagger.

This was a dance, she thought, as graceful as she could to swing her sword like a dancer's arm turning clockwise for an arc, before deftly stepping aside with a twirl, only able to watch as he suddenly lifted himself into the air, blade in hand.

 **"I can see that you truly deserve the moniker of being the 'Black Swordsman's daughter,"** Yalbadaoth clapped, surprisingly civil despite being her captor. **"But allow me to test you with this single blow!"**

Quick as his words, he boosted himself upwards more, spinning once in an aileron roll, before allowing his boosters to propel him faster down towards her, as he held his blade straight down towards her.

Taking notice of this, she held her sword as batters with a baseball do, before swinging towards his sword in a fashion to hit a baseball—

*CHGN!*

"HhHHAA!" Screaming, her body was on fire, as she blocked the assault of the weapon with the flat edge of her blade. Gritting her teeth, she yelled ever harder as she finally knocked him away.

 **"Hgh..!"** Losing all his momentum, he forced himself to return to ground, before kicking the girl away. **"Not bad for a child."**

"I…" She skidded a few short feet before returning to a stand, shaking her head and rushing forwards once more. "I can do better!"

True to her word, her heart had indeed been given a new balm, presumably by something that he didn't knew or recognise.

Closing in on Yalbadaoth, she ignored the little cramp in her leg in exchange for the furious combo she let loose against the mechanical being before her, breaking apart his metal pieces and cutting away at his chassis.

*Chng!* *Thud!*

 **"Agh!"** The Mechon grunted in pain as Yui felled him by his leg, forcing him to topple downwards. **"How did you…"**

"You're heavy!" Yui yelled loudly, swiping her powered sword across every part of him, leaving a nasty scar on his metallic arm. She cut harder, muscles beginning to burn from how much force she was applying. "Your weight couldn't support you!"

Much he could say, but none he could despite trying to get back on his feet, only for him to topple once more as the girl propelled herself into the air and struck his back.

*Boom!*

 **"Enough!"** As loud as he shouted, the shockwave he emitted after a minute of getting nothing but assaulted by this girl was powerful enough to push her back. **"I don't see the need to hold back, I suppose. What say you?"**

"Better that way. I hate being looked down on," her tone was harsh, but it held a sense of chivalry that made him laugh in joy.

 **"Yes, yes! You're sounding like your father with every passing moment!"** He complimented, before taking a stance with his sword on his arm which faced towards himself. **"Come now, show me what you have!"**

For her father…

"For my father!" She roared, powering up her sword and rushing forwards, leaving trails of dust and broken dirt on the otherwise metallic platform she battled Yalbadaoth on. "Hrgghaa!"

*CNHG!*

And their swords met.

The other was cut.

One fell.

The other won.

 ***Final Fantasy XV—Stand Your Ground (End Song)***

* * *

Floor 75—Dungeon

"So right past here, we'll be facing off against one of the most strongest bosses there have ever lived…" Adam sighed, trying to ease the tension in his gut. No matter how hard he tried, however, he always seemed to fail. "Damn it… Well, how do you guys feel?"

"Ready to beat the crap out of this boss, and get to the hundredth floor!" Klein fist pumped into the air, looking as ready as he could ever be, with determination pulsating in his soul.

"Yeah! We'll get back Yui!" Lisbeth nodded strongly, holding up her silver mace that reflected the light against her iron vambraces.

"All of us are here beside you, Adam," Agil's voice sounded calm, reassuring even, but most of all, strong. "We'll be your swords and shields. We'll save your daughter."

"Together," Asuna whispered, clasping her husband's hand softly in hopes of calming him. He smiled, pecking her once on the lips before looking to the door, steady and composed as he could have ever been.

"Well, let's get this show on the road…" He muttered under his breath. Past this door would be his final trial before he'd finally meet them. 'God knows what Cain and Abel have done…'

* * *

 _Of everything that he had fought for, he had wielded his blade to fight for his loved ones._

 _And as the first A.I. march steadily to his curtain call with his friends and family by his side, there was only one question that lingered in his mind..._

 _Could he really win this? Maybe if God were merciful enough, but every challenge must be met with a steeled will._

 _And he was ready to give the people and his loved ones their freedom._

* * *

A/N: Wow, that's definitely something!

So, I bet that none of you would've expected me to make Yui to be Kayaba's daughter, huh? Well, anything's possible in a story, guys! Don't underestimate the powers of a fiction, much more a _fan_ fiction!

In any case, we gain the names of two beings; Cain and Abel. So they're our protagonist's sons? Well, who knows what their past is. And what of Kayaba / Heathcliff? What of the Mechons? How do they play a part in this? And Yui? Jeez, so many questions... But the answers will come soon!

So get ready, people! Buckle up for the final chapter, before we step foot into the new arc!


	18. Chapter 17

"Don't let me down!" - Speech

'You look familiar…' - Thoughts

 _"The war was over."_ \- Flashback / Emphasis

*Whoosh!* *Tzzz!* - Sound effects

 **"This isn't good!"** \- Tatl / Tael Speech, Boss Speech

 **'How in the world?'** \- Tatl / Tael Thoughts

* * *

'`Chapter 17: Last Calling'`

 _Cain and Abel, sons of the first man._

 _Mechon, beings from an unknown world._

 _Yui, his daughter in this world, and lover in the first._

 _All in all, the First A.I. would have to face the perils of life at last, as he watches everything he has done so far crumble into the everlasting void of reason._

 _One last dance. And he would take its steps properly this time._

* * *

December 3rd 2024—Floor 75

It has been three days since they finally pinpointed the locations of the dungeon's boss room, and everyone had decided to stock up on curatives and items before they'd challenge the thing. Whilst they were willing to go the first time, Adam's words had made them reconsider.

 _'This boss won't be a walk in the park. Larger than any other bosses, I'm surprised he's even managed to exist. It's going to have an easy time manoeuvring around, and even more of killing us. Get yourselves packed up, 'cause once we step foot inside, it's a living Hell.'_

The way he said it was intimidating enough, even those considered unshakable men amongst the groups felt shivers travel down their data spine, no one had the balls to not heed his warnings. But even so, their hero was willing to fight, so they will stand by his side nonetheless.

And thus, three days has gone and passed, as everyone prepares themselves for one of the biggest battles there is.

But what about the 'Black Swordsman'? Well…

 **"We're facing off against the 'Skull Reaper'? Damn it… That thing is way too difficult…"** Tael, despite her constant enthusiasm and chirpiness, was silently concerned now.

 **"Adam, you can't be thinking of facing that thing…"** Tatl spoke, voice lowered that displayed so much worry. **"Please, friend, there has to be another way."**

"Sorry guys, but this is a-must if I want to face off against them," the lad sighed, face contorted into an expression of anger and tire. "I'm really sorry… But this what I'm doing. This is the last thing I must do. I can't let them down."

 **"No one is expecting you to do anything!"** Tael cried out, fluttering higher now as she leaved a trail of sparkling dust. **"Adam, you have to think, this will not be easy! We can't…"**

"I'm sorry guys, but truth be told, I should have been dead a long time ago…" The lad sighed once more, chuckling ruefully when he saw the shocked looks on their faces. He had long expected the looks they were giving, but never had he thought it pained his heart quite so. "Don't worry, you'll get a little story-telling soon enough. Cain always does like long introductions, especially if it's about himself."

 **"Cain?"** Both siblings parroted in unison, a mix of innocent curiosity, suffocating dread and silent hope—hope that it didn't spell any trouble for the human—pouring onto their hearts.

"I suppose you don't know him yet… But you will soon, trust me," the lad nodded his head, a simple gesture that surprisingly managed to ease their tension. "Truly… I never thought the day would come any quicker."

 **"What day?"** Tatl asked, voice claiming nothing but innocence. Even his sister had leaned in to get a better hearing. The lad turned his head to look around his surroundings, ensuring that it was only him and the fairies. They were taken slightly aback by his rather secretive behaviour, but knew better than to comment on this.

Adam had long gambled his life on the line to protect everyone's, and the two fairies were the ones he trusted most with his whenever it came down to it. Long had passed since they met, and the last thing they knew, Tatl was his guidance in battle and life, whereas Tael gave him the layouts and the navigating.

And the two years had since then further fortified their love and trust in one another, to the point where they saw each other not as just a human and two fairies, but as a _family_ ; two brothers and a sister. But even so, they were happy now that he had a real family now, being a husband to a woman and a father to a girl.

And this trust was why they chose to remain with him, and learned to know that everything he had done his whole life was for the good deal of the others. If what he had to say meant something very important, they knew it was something he had said to none, and they would be the first ones to know.

"…Okay, this is very important, guys," he softly coughed into his fist before resuming. "I need you to promise me that you wouldn't say what I told you to anyone else. This will remain only between the three of us. You don't tell anyone, and I keep this a locked case."

 **"I-I suppose we'll have to,"** Tael agreed, albeit hesitantly due to the serious tone their human friend had adopted. Always the optimistic person he was, neither her nor her brother, whom blinked in response, possessing no words to boot, both would have never thought Adam was possible of said feeling.

"I know I can trust you, just as you've trust me to watch over your lives all this time," he smiled, radiant and calming as ever that only magnified the worry they felt. "Well, no time like now, I suppose. You see, the truth is…"

* * *

Meanwhile—Floor 100—Ruby Palace

 **"Aww, Yalbadaoth! I would have enjoyed ripping her apart for you! You only needed to call!"** Metal Face whined, hands open and motioning a tearing action.

It had been a long battle, yet it was ultimately decided long ago. Yalbadaoth emerged the victor, arriving back at the 'Ruby Palace' with an unconscious girl sporting bruises and little gashes all across her body in his hands, before he proceeded to heal her—with a liquid form of something called 'ether'—and locking her up once more.

Of course, he had opted to leave it at just that, but knowing how she managed to escape last time, which he had to admit, with much amusement, was something that ultimately deserved respect, he had went on to increase defences, and she wouldn't find any easier option to break free, other than mercilessly cutting away at a wall of 7-feet thick.

Other than that, she was just as trapped as a bird in its cage. There would be no possible way for her to escape this time. She became his _prisoner_.

 **"And that is why I did not choose you,"** Yalbadaoth sighed, brushing dust off of his golden shoulder. Stopping just for a moment, he could very well see the scar she left on the lower part of his chest, but he paid it no heed. **"Or Xord, since he'll just eat her."**

 **"Well, we wouldn't have any use for her anyways! And the humans are much later than their supposed time!"** The gigantic Mechon groaned with a lot of frustration, tapping his hammer against the floor. **"But enough of that. What of Jade Face? And Face Nemesis? Surely, their repairs should be done by now."**

 **"Indeed they should be,"** the golden Mechon nodded, looking through a glass that gave view to two Mechon in separate recuperation chambers.

One was a humanoid Mechon, dressed in silver platings with brown appendages clawing out to imitate what seemed to look like a skirt. With red gems on her front platings, she too possessed golden rings around her wrists and where her elbow was, as well as having a part of her iron on her arm protruding outwards to give a look of a fin. This was Face Nemesis.

 **"Amazing how she's managed to survive the 'Deletion',"** Yalbadaoth muttered to himself, silently groaning when he saw that the other Mechon were too busy in their scuffle to even care.

Looking to the other chamber, this Mechon looked almost similar to Metal Face, except with the major difference being his green decal. With shorter yet bigger limbs, he too possessed 'wings' that acted as his rifle beams. Red lights around his body pulsating complimented the golden designs all around his body. Jade Face, one of the other Mechon that survived this 'Deletion'.

 **"Well!"** Yalbadaoth's voice raised high, and the other two Mechon had ceased their previous actions. **"I have a feeling that we'd have to welcome our guests soon enough. Get ready, they're planning to face the 'Skull Reaper'. Don't ask how I know, just go."**

 **"Roger that!"** Both Metal Face and Xord saluted in unison, running off to depart for their destination. Only when they were out of earshot did Yaldabaoth release his pent-up sigh.

 **"Come on, A.E.E. Finish your sons, just as you've started them,"** the Mechon, silent to everything else, prayed a silent wish, hands clasping each other as he took in one of his last breaths.

If this would be the lad's curtain call, so too would it be his, and the other's. This game was coming to its end.

* * *

Floor 75—Dungeon

Everyone now fully armed and loaded, they were now at the foot of the boss's door, the feelings of trepidation not once easing at all.

A familiar strawberry blonde looked around, wondering where her husband was. This was finally the time! The time to face the boss monster! He had said so himself; this would be the only thing separating them from Yui. She didn't understand what he said, but she took it to heart. Anything to save her daughter.

And the short time in preparing themselves, she had came to see just how far he had been pushing himself. He must be blaming himself horribly for his failure, she thought. She didn't understand why he couldn't just see that he wasn't in the wrong at all, but there was nothing to do that could stop him once he begun.

It was kust like before. How he had applied every factors and multiples into the equation, trying to come up with a solution to overcome the problem at hand. He'd disappear for days, weeks even, missing out on relaxation and dinner, before he'd emerged from his room with a tired look and a plan in mind.

He was always prepared in everything he did, and she could definitely understand why she fell in love with him in the first place.

But this was a strange time for the girl's father to be missing.

"Commander Asuna," said girl turned to the source of the voice, now eye-to-eye with Heathcliff, leader of the 'Knights of Blood'. "Have you seen Adam? I have a few words I mean to exchange with him."

"Hmm… No, not really," she shook her head, wondering the same where her husband was. "Now that you mention him, I saw him walking somewhere, but…"

"HERE!" Both people turned to the west, now able to see as a familiar black-cladded swordsman made his way towards them, panting once he finally stopped. He casted a slight silhouette on the ground, the light behind him functioning quite bright. "Whoo… Sorry I was late. What's up?"

"Ah, I just wished to speak with you," Heathcliff smiled, somewhat bitterly as Asuna noticed. "Between us. As people before this life."

At his words, Asuna could see the way her husband's lips had curled downwards into a frown, before every features on his face displayed slight sorrow and pain. She opted to speak to him, but before she remotely had the chance, he had turned to her, not bothering to adopt a façade.

"Sorry, Asuna. You should go on ahead. Talk to Lisbeth, or look at your sword, or something. This won't be quick, for all I know," he sighed, gracing her with a pitiful smile and a peck on the lips before he disappeared from the area with Heathcliff.

'W-What was that…' She asked herself, confused and worried all the same.

Finally gaining distance from everyone else, Adam released a heavy sigh before dropping down on a crate of weapons, a rattle of the crate only temporary before everything stood silent once more. He didn't bother with formalities or the identities when he looked straight into his creator's eyes with much remorse.

"I've told you before that you've sinned me none, and I will tell you again," Heathcliff held none of his words, taking a seat beside him. "Those memories… I triggered them in you."

"And for what?" He suddenly snapped, unable to restrain the little traces of anger, and unable to hold back the poison from slipping into his words.

"For you to truly remember who you were before any of this," the armoured man answered, sighing once before giving the other person a soft tap on his shoulder. This was no invitation to war or a threat. It was gesture between a man and his friend. "Listen, A.E.E, both of us know that it's not your fault that Yui was taken. In fact, it's mine."

"Yeah… Created Cain and Abel, and for what?" He asked once more, giving off a bitter chuckle that seemed to worsen the tension. "Damn it… I think we need a trip down memory lane. I can't even remember why they exist."

"In due time, A.E.E," Heathcliff frowned, feeling himself shrink in the presence of the animosity that pulsated from the swordsman's being. He knew it wasn't targeted at him, but he couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. "A.E.E, tell me what you're mad at."

"Myself," he answered without a trace of hesitation. "Because of my selfish request, Cain and Abel came into the world. And because I didn't know how to be a good father, they went mad, now wanting to kill everyone and everything. And then they somehow altered the data here to create the Mechon… And what's worse, is that they took Yui, because they think I care more about her than I do about them!"

"And yet, there's something that I don't understand," the creator knew he was stepping onto dangerous territory, but curiosity just wouldn't leave him. "You claim that you hate yourself, but what is there that stemmed such powerful hatred?"

"It's the fact that everything goes to sh*t with me around," he cursed, for once that it scared his creator to the point where his eyes widened to the size of pans, and his grip on the other's shoulder loosened immensely. A.E.E. had _never_ sworn in his life, and he was sure he didn't program it inside of him.

But almost as he just said that, a sliver part of his hair turned white, indicating his personality change. This was bad.

"…A.E.E, there is something that I must address, and I fear that it is of importance," Heathcliff spoke slowly this time, still trying to get over the shock of his creation swearing. "When we rescue Yui, what do you plan to do?"

"Return her memories," the lad answered, not taking his eyes off of the barren ground. He could make out light cracks in the earth, giving a lithe view of the looser dirt in it. Fitting, he thought, just as how his mind was slowly standing on the edge of insanity. "I've played with her head, lied to her for too long. I… can't see her as my daughter anymore, Kayaba."

"And you're willing to let her go?" He raised his eyebrow, awaiting the younger's answer.

"I know Asuna won't take it lightly, and she'll no doubt kill me for it," try as he might, he couldn't bring himself to even laugh at that stupid effort to lighten the tension in his gut. "But she'll understand. She has to. Plus, everyone'll know soon enough. Kayaba, I'm the reason Yui died in the first place. I want you to be her father once more."

"…" Heathcliff did nothing, merely sitting on the crate as he watched for any body movement from the swordsman. Nothing. "Well…" He began with a sigh. "I don't plan to make her my daughter once more."

"Good ans—Wait, what?" He paused midway, eyes wide with disbelief at the supposed father's words. "What the hell do you mean you're not going to take Yui as your daughter anymore? She's your f**king flesh and blood!"

Even more cursing, and more black strands atop his head shifted to white.

"It's as I said, A.E.E. I will not take her as my daughter no more. Plus, the Yui in this world is not the same as the one I have watched over the years," a grim smile on the 'Knight of Blood's leader's face was enough to say everything.

He missed his daughter. This could have been his chance to reunite with his daughter once more, but it just wouldn't be the same.

The Yui he had watched his whole life was a beautiful girl who had developed a love for science, and enjoyed singing to her friends—a thing she managed to overcome thanks to A.E.E's advice. She too was someone who loved playing games, a trait he knew from watching her quote unquote 'nightly workouts' with A.E.E.

The Yui in this world was a kind little girl, a major gap being the age. She never had much friends to begin with. Plus, similar to how A.E.E's name had undergone a change, so too did his daughters. In this world, she was Yui-MHCP001, a Mental Health Counseling Program 001. What's more, she developed a fondness of battling, all because of…

"A.E.E, the Yui in this world. Tell me, why did she learn to wield the sword in the first place?" Just as he expected, a barely audible whimper escaped the other's lips. Presumably afraid that he'd be mad at him, Heathcliff mused. "I won't be angry with you, I promise."

"…During my fight with the 'Gleaming Eyes' from the seventy-fourth floor. I was fighting the damn thing, since Corvats decided to grow a pair of balls and rush in without his f**king mind," once more, something had reacted to his unruly way of speech, causing more strands to whiten. "So, I did what I promised myself to do. I rushed into battle with Asuna, Klein and his guild, and fought em'. Problem is, I got injured pretty badly halfway."

"Really?" Heathcliff's eyebrows raised, his surprise not being feigned. "But I programmed you to possess an infinite level."

"Hey, anything is possible," the lad shrugged, not bothering to deal with the goofy smile he had on his face. He was welcoming of it, to be honest. "In any case, I was knocked back. Hitting a wall, literally, Asuna and Klein took my place. It was then that Yui appeared, using her programming to heal me. After that, I was forced to reveal my 'Hidden Skill', which sucked. I wanted to keep it a secret a little longer…"

"So Yui wanted to fight, after seeing your duel with the 'Gleaming Eyes'?" The commander asked, gesturing for his friend to continue.

"Yup. Came to me the next day and brought up the topic of wanting to be a swords-woman," he chuckled, holding a sense of joy and nostalgia in his breath. "Do you think that Yui wanted to learn to fight, because the way she punched that guy in the office?"

"Hmm… I wouldn't count on it. I had erased Yui's memories when I converted her heart and memories into an A.I. Therefore, it should be pretty impossible for any triggers of change," the armoured man explained, taking a look at the insides of the crate through the little gap that was left open.

Receiving no answer, Heathcliff took it as a sign that his friend wanted some quietude, of which he decided not to deny. It still scared him, how much of a toll his—Adam's daughter's kidnapping is taking effect on him. The shifting of black to white was an inevitable mistake he had long made when he first converted A.E.E. back into his A.I. form, something he was unable to fix.

And right now, he was fighting. In a war against two mindsets, each trying to gain the leverage.

On one part, Adam's wish to protect the peace of the world remained stagnant, not dissipating until now. His drive to fight merely existed to support his ideals, a pillar that gave stability to the ever suffocating thought of his failure to protect the people.

And on the other, slowly growing to consume his heart and soul, was the part of him that wanted to create and destroy. It was dangerous, Heathcliff thought, for it could very well change the way his friend would think and act, ultimately corrupting his data and expunging every good thing there was about him.

He feared that if nothing could be done now… He'd lose A.E.E. forever, just as he lost his daughter.

"So, what now?" Looking to where the voice came from, he could very well see the anguish and haste shining brightly in the younger one's eyes.

"Well, we've come here to face off against the 'Floor Boss', and that's what we're going to do," ever the vigilant leader Heathcliff was, his tone was deserving respect, as steel mixed in to support his words. "But even so…" Suddenly, his previous confidence was washed away, replaced with concern and worry. "Are you sure you're ready for this? Once you'll go with this, you'll…"

"I was long prepared for it, ever since I found out," Adam sighed, hoisting himself off of the crate and clipping his sheathed blades on his back. "I came here to get your daughter back. I won't back down now. I need to do this, no matter the price."

"And if the price was, and I truly hope it wouldn't come to this… You?" Heathcliff had expected a reaction synonymous to fear or the like, but he wasn't prepared for the determination his friend showed, given shape into a smile that graced his face.

"I'd rather not think on what happens when I lose. I think I'm much more comfortable thinking about what to do when I win," he snickered, more streaks of silver lining up onto his head. "Come on, we're about to beat up one hell of an abomination. Let's show em' what you humans and I, an A.I. can do."

* * *

Unknown Location

 **"Master,"** Yalbadaoth's metallic voice rung in the air, not going unnoticed by two entities—the grandmasters behind the acts—whom sat in the room, seemingly having nothing to do. **"Your… father, is at the seventy-fifth floor. Upon defeating the 'Floor Boss', shall we pick them up?"**

"Of course, it would be very much useful if you could do so," the first figure, whose hair ran down all the way above his hips, nodded in agreement, his lips curled upward in a sadistic grin that only signalled to how much he loved the idea.

"And what of the others, brother?" A second figure asked, looking slightly younger than his sibling. "Father will no doubt be coming against us with an army. Should we dispose them?"

"Hmm… No, we should leave them be," the older brother shook his head, crossing his arms around his chest without much a care. "Think about it. We kill his friends, and he'd lose the spirit to fight us. I've been wanting to go at him at full power for a long time. See how far I've come."

"Well, you always did say that you love a good fight," the younger brother sighed, a hint of amusement underneath his breath. "Well, Yalbadaoth, you can take father, his new… _wife_ , and his creator. Though, if father does have any other people he wishes to bring along, please do so. The more the merrier, as they say."

 **"As you will it, milords,"** the golden Mechon lowered himself into a respectful bow, fitting for someone of their caliber, he thought. And soon enough, he left the area, taking flight as he made his way to join Metal Face and Xord.

And of course, this left the two brothers to their own devices.

"You sure didn't hold back from hissing at the mention of father's new wife," the older brother snickered, not bothering to hold back his laughter afterwards.

"You hate her, just as much as I do myself," a snarl escaped the younger's lips, seemingly inhuman that it was fitting for one that was mad beyond recuperation. "Besides, Cain, father has ignored us ever since he took her hand. The witch…"

"Hah! Just a witch, you say? If anything, she's just a Japanese whore who came to take him away from us," despite the way he had processed his words, Cain sounded just as ticked off as his younger brother. If not, even more so. "And you know what, Abel? I hate Yui the most. She became his daughter! She replaced us! Damn it, I get my hands on her, and she can expect herself dead."

"Calm down brother. Sure, she may as well be just as bad as her mother, but don't tell me you've ever thought of seeing how well she can be in bed?" Abel swept his hair to the side, allowing a lecherous smirk to form on his features. "Aah, how I'd delight in ripping her 'flower' apart… She could be quite the song when she screams."

"True that. I've heard that pained yell she released that time Yalbadaoth slammed her down to the ground. Like music to the ears," the older brother's chuckle held no warmth, nor did it entice others with a calming tone.

Abel knew better. It was dark, malicious even, as it held no remorse, no pity, no sympathy for anyone of the matter. Abel himself joined in with his own laughter, symbolising sin and darkness.

"Well, all there is now is to let the Mechon do their work, as we…" Cain paused to let out a groggy yawn, stretching himself to ease the numbness of his limbs. "Sit back and wait for the time to come."

"As you say, brother…" Abel nodded, leaning backwards into his chair, allowing himself a short rest before everything would finally end. "Retribution with indefinitely come…"

"That it will, brother…" Both siblings cackled softly.

* * *

Floor 75—Floor Boss Room

The time was no longer nigh; it was here.

Now, with much preparation a done deed, everyone were pretty much confident that they'd come out of this alive and well, bringing back with them as they move forwards, closing in on the final floor with much experience and items to boot.

Plus, everyone's been training hard ever since. Adam had personally taken it on himself to guide them, and easy to say, it was actually much more welcoming than Heathcliff's training or anyone else's.

"Remember everyone," he began, slow with a steady smile that seemed to make the situation lighter than they thought. "We'll be fighting so to get ourselves used to the ways of the fight. You don't need to push yourselves much if it's too much. Remember, when the going gets rough, never be afraid to run!"

And thus began the hellish—Hah! What the hell am I saying? The training lasted for three days, with the 'Black Swordsman' intent on polishing each players' skills. He had avoided in teaching them new ones, in fear that they'd begin to neglect their first abilities. And with much time put into this little regimen, many came out stronger, faster and smarter than ever before—both mind and body.

And he was pleased enough with the results, he felt spirit pulsate into him. He was confident now, that they'd be able to defeat the 'Skull Reaper'. And then…

'It'd be my turn to walk the plank,' he mentally quipped, not giving himself the satisfaction of a chuckle. 'Well, whatever… We've got this! No need to hold back now!'

And standing at the foot of the door, everyone could see the way his arm moved confidently to push the door open. No… This was simply a misconception if viewed from afar. In truth, he was afraid.

He had made the mistake of asking for children, and came to fruit were two corrupted beings, who only dreamt of dominance over the weak, conquest over the strong, and the ultimate satisfaction of the deaths of others.

It was a simple plan. To take over 'SAO', and make it their little death game. Of course, it was supposed to be a simple game, but Kayaba was forced to take the mantle of the game master back in the first day so to make the players aware of the danger they were to face.

Adam could only grimace at the thought of even more players dying, had his creator not chosen to step up and voice out the dangers of the game to the people.

Ultimately, the swordsman was possessed by the fear of facing his failures, both as a creation and a father. He had failed to restore the balance in this data world by bringing both his sons into it, something he could never undo, and would forever burden himself with.

He thought the pain of sharing himself with his lovers was bad enough. This felt even worse.

"Well, it's now or never, I suppose…" He exhaled through his mouth, letting a bit of oxygen into his systems before turning to face the army with a look that betrayed his slight anxiousness. "Alright-y, everyone! This is the day that we're going to be free from this blasted world! Let's pray that our fight gives us our freedom!"

"YEAH!" The army, composed of voluntary NPC's, the players, the floor clearers, multiple guilds—including the 'Laughing Coffin', which came as a huge shocker to everyone but Adam, considering that he befriended their leader—and his own friends, all of whom he was willing to toss his life aside to protect.

"Well, Adam, time we get this finale to its start, don't you agree?" Sturdy in the world before, Kayaba remains vigilant in this one.

Nodding mutely, the lad turned himself once more, letting out a nervous breath before flattening his palm against the door's surface, ready to push it open until more hands appeared all around his. He blinked, looking around to notice his friends all grinning beside him.

"We do this together, Adam. Remember?" His loving wife beside him, giggling softly that calmed the inner war inside of him.

"Yeah… Thank you for this," he smiled back, facing the door once more with renewed determination, as he finally pushes it, action supported by the similar effects from his friends. "Let's end this!"

*Creak!*

And the two massive doors finally gave way, no longer standing in the way of the swordsman, his comrades and his army from confronting the creature they came to slay.

"What the…" Klein was the first to break the deafening silence, waltzing in without much care as he took a look around the room, a fresh question in mind. "Where the heck is the boss?"

True to his word, there was no sight of the monster in the room, instantly perplexing everyone. They took steady stances, in case they were to be ambushed now. Adam had been lenient enough not to remind them constantly during their training rounds, but they knew not than to ignore his advice.

And yet, all there was to the eye was a massive cuboidal room, tiled with brown stone for a floor and black dredges on the walls. The ceiling was just as dark, almost looking like the midnight sky, only lacking the beautiful stars from space.

"This doesn't feel right…" Argo commented, constantly shifting her view from left to right in case the beast was anywhere, but even she couldn't help but loosen her guard by a bit. A mistake she instantly corrected just as she realised it.

"Don't tell me the game is bugged or something," Agil huffed, holding his mace firm and scanning his surroundings, with Klein by his side, the latter donned in samurai armour and 'Wakizashi' in his right grip. "Adam, what's the boss again?"

"It's the 'Skull Reaper'. Guy's seriously humongous, and looks like a bony centipede," the lad summarised, not letting his grip over his 'Elucidator' and 'Night Repulser' to slip. "There's no mistaking it. He should be here. Guy's too large to miss, and yet…"

"I swear, if Kayaba's just screwing with us…" Lisbeth snarled, slightly annoyed at the little thought. What went unnoticed by everyone, except his own creation, was how Heathcliff had seemingly shuddered from her words. "Sure, I'm not complaining if we get to progress without having to face this thing, but seriously though!"

With everyone already reaching in, the lad made a signal that was received by everyone as a sign to scatter. And so, they did just that, spreading out to cover the whole room, yet finding nothing. No traces of the boss, nor was there any little sounds that gave sign of the beast's presence.

"What the hell..?" Slightly retreating, Adam leaned his head closer to Heathcliff's, trying to look as casual as he could without arising suspicion. "Kayaba, where the f**k is the 'Skull Reaper'?"

"I don't know… I made sure its code was properly placed in the game. There's no doubt…" His eyes turned sharp, ignoring the more clearer view details of the room in favour of a sharper perception of view, but still getting no signs of the boss. "Besides, even if it were deleted, your sons would've been quick to put it back."

"Or put in a much harder boss…" The lad gritted his teeth, feeling his blood boil for what he thought to be the first time ever. Why was he getting angry? All these new emotions… He felt real. "Seriously though, where is—"

*…Krkr…*

"..!" Breath caught in his voice, only now did he realise where it was. Cursing himself for being a fool, he raised his finger in the air, acting as a signal to be quiet.

"What is it, Adam..?" His wife, who had been busy travelling from one corner of the room to the next, until she managed to cover the whole room—he couldn't help but find this quite admirable. Her dedication to her task was something he could truly respect her for—before she returned to him, only to notice the signal he was making.

"The thing is in here…" He noted, only switching his gaze with just his eyes, not bothering to turn his neck around. "Don't focus with your eyes. Use your ears…"

Unlike Kayaba, who seemed prone to be on a cryptic mode always, and others who tended to beat around the bush—either to lessen the pain of hearing their words or they didn't know what to say, he didn't know—he was perfectly capable of aiming for the bullseye, giving everyone straightforward info which has proven quite useful in battles and other things.

Of course, it was that very same thing that helped him to admit his supposed 'sin' to the other girls in the first place, but we've already dived into that, so let's leave that as water under the bridge.

*…Kr…*

Soft little rattles made their way into the players' and NPC's ears, as they continued to listen on, trying to get a point on the beast's location.

*…Krkrkr.*

The rattling became cracking and snapping of bones, fitting of the beast as it was nothing more than a bony centipede. Everyone haven't even seen it yet, but they already felt the dread begin to set in.

*Krkkr!*

"Uh-oh…" Eyes beginning to widen, with fear being mixed into the little pupils that were as black as the midnight sky, he slowly turned to look upwards, and that's when it hit him. "Oh, f**k…"

*Krkrkr!*

There, up on the ceiling, as it stood attached to it with the help of its sickle-like feet that's amount clocked around twenty or above, with its red eyes that shone brighter than any fluorescent light—a thing Adam remembered from his memories—in the world being the only thing that anyone could clearly see.

The outlining of its body… The inhuman head that seemed to be bulging outwards… The millions of legs—an exaggeration, I know. Truly, if there was anything to describe this thing, it would be—

"Damn, that thing is _large_!" Klein gawked at the sight of the boss, everyone taking a step back.

Not from the beast, but rather, his own sudden outburst.

*KRKRKR!* *Thud!*

"AAH!" No one was prepared for it to suddenly drop onto them, sending them blown away from the powerful wind and magnitude that came as it introduced itself to them all.

This was it… The final challenge. Beat it, and he can get Yui back.

Damn the hells and their odds! He was going to get her back!

"Everyone!" Adam, unsheathing his swords with a look that spoke of savagery and giving no mercy to his enemy, raised his voice to the point that it shook the very thin air in the room, demanding respect, loyalty and bravery. "Get ready to fight!"

 ***Final Fantasy XV—Omnis Lacrima (Play Song)***

*KRKRKRKAA!*

And with a mighty swing, the beast broke apart the ranks of the army, sending them tumbling backwards with a large portion of their health drained to below half.

This was bad… Far worse than he would've ever given himself the capability to believe. Just from that simple action, he could already tell that they were about to face Hell.

…No matter. There was no turning back now. The doors were now closed, caging them with the monster. This was there only shot at moving forwards.

"Injured, get yourselves healed! Shield-wielders, at arms! All capable far-shooters, get yourselves ready!" He ordered. And just as quick as a maelstrom were to come, everyone had settled with their duties, with the shield-wielders lining up to form a wall of iron whilst the archers sat behind them.

"Ready your arrows!" His words were steeled, and responded with just the same amount of determination, as archers hitched their arrows to their bowstrings, pulling back strongly until their hands graced their cheeks. "Fire!"

*Twang!* *Tck!*

*Krgga!*

Arrows were let loose, joining together to form a shower that dug deep into the beast's flesh, breaking the soft appendages or snapping when making contact with the calcium-fortified bones.

"Damn it… Drank too much milk," he mused to himself, finding himself sickly amused with the current situation. "All shield-wielders, remain a wall! All capable fighters, rush in! Dodge his swings! Parry if capable! Heal once injured! Go!"

"HYAA!" And with a prideful roar that bolstered each other's spirits, the players and NPC's rushed towards the boss monster, boots clacking loudly against the stone floor as they wielded swords, spears and axes in hand.

*KeeRKA!*

Each of its swings embodied the Grim Reaper's own scythe swing; capable of taking a person's life upon touch. And thus, everyone heeded their leader's advice, dodging and blocking the monster's attacks.

So close..!

"Strike!" He gave the signal, and everyone took it well.

*Shng!* *Klang!* *Chk!*

The 'Skull Reaper' took every blow with a pained hiss, trying desperately to block their attacks, but it was a futile effort.

With the three days of training, he had drilled it into them of the importance to exploit the boss's weaknesses, the paradigms they were to take, the cards to play, and even took it to personally craft their gear for them.

This would be their final battle, and he'd take it from there.

"Hah!" Asuna unleashed a 'Sword Skill', dealing successful consecutive strikes against the 'Skull Reaper', inwardly smiling when she caught sight of it's health slowly deteriorating.

*KrrkRA!*

"Switch!" She cried out, stepping backwards to allow her husband to take her place.

*Chng!*

"Break already!" He yelled, activating 'Starburst Stream' and giving a merciless twelve combo against the monster, cackling with much satisfaction when the monster's legs suddenly gave in, forcing it to topple and crash to the ground with a loud thud. "It's down! Everyone, strike! Do not let up!"

With nary a grammatical response, everyone merely gave their own shouts of loyalty, with the far-strikers launching arrow after arrow, whilst the close-attackers swung heavily and without a care, attacking any part of the beast they could find. The injured stumbled back for cover, mending themselves with a potion before returning to the battle.

*KrrKAAAA!*

The multiple assaults it received on its body did much to further cut down its health bar, slowly forcing it to lose its life in the world of data.

"Everyone, retreat! It's preparing to swing!" Agil's gruff voice rose high enough that everyone heard him loud and clear. And, just as he predicted, the boss monster suddenly did a donut, threatening to sweep anyone in it's proximity off their feet.

"Hack at it!" Klein gave the order this time, his guild joining the fray with him to cut down at the beast's tail.

"All archers, ready your arrows! Get ready to fire!" The black-haired lad shouted, ready to move forwards until he felt a hand grip his hand. "Hm?"

"We told you, Adam. We're doing this together," his wife seemed to have caught up on the way of how he seemed to be taking the heavy duties himself, causing her to worry. "We're tag teaming on this one."

"Well, if milady insists," he softly jested, snickering in response to her pout.

"Well, as long as you allow me to be by your side, I guess…" She sighed, shortly replaced with a burning fuel that helped clear her senses a bit. "Let my sword help you, Black Swordsman."

"My Elucidator and Night Repulser are at your command, Lightning Flash," he smiled, gaining back a little part of him that he just came to miss, after realising himself slowly begin to break due to all this pain. 'Oh well, it's just for a bit more.'

Kicking their feet backwards—

*Fwoo!*

"Hraaah!" Both swordsmen—male and female alike—moved to the beats of the war, thrusting their swords in perfect harmony and joining their attacks to magnify their damage output on the 'Skull Reaper'.

*KrrRA!*

It crackled for a long time, swinging blindly at everyone just as soon as it's health had now dropped to its final bar.

"Just a bit more!" Heathcliff grunted, stepping in front of a foot soldier to shield him from a deadly blow, before giving his own swing against the monster. "Adam, just how much longer until the explosives are ready for use?"

"Explosives?!" Lisbeth and Silica both yelped in unison, but the lad chose to play their words out of the foreground for now.

"Just give them one more minute!" He told his friend, of which the latter took it with a nod. "Everyone, just hold on for a little bit more!"

Deciding to trust his judgement, the players and NPC's merely continued their onslaught, avoiding death as potions after potions came into play, mending their wounds and restoring their health. The boss was close to defeat, and—

"Alright! All archers, gather the red bottles that you can find inside the crate close to the room's doors! They're explosives!" His instructions were clearer than day, but the archers found themselves rather hesitant to take them. "Don't worry! They only explode when I give the signal!"

"And what's the signal?!" Klein roared out, knocking away the boss's leg away with a swing to said part.

"Dude, if I told you the signal, the thing would've just exploded already! Are you crazy?!" The lad retorted, slightly annoyed at his friend's obliviousness. "Whatever! Archers, grab a bottle each and get ready to throw on my command!"

Without wasting a moment, every archer there were had dropped their bows, rushing to the door to grab a bottle as the others fought furiously to keep the boss monster away from them.

"Alright! Agil, commence the roping plan!" He yelled, with the bald man in question giving a nod of understanding.

"Alright, shield-wielders! Rope em'!" Just as they practiced during their three-day training sessions. The guards instantly lowered their defences, pulling out hard rope and beginning to twist and turn it around the boss monster, forcing it to get entangled in it and forced affixed in its position.

*KrrKAAA!*

"Alright, this should be the finishing blow!" The swordsman grinned like a maniac, displaying a hint of satisfaction at his plans and cards being played perfectly, just as he had expected and hoped for. "Okay, archers! No need to light em' up! Just toss them at the boss! Shield-wielders, hold him down longer! Everyone, back away!"

Quick to his orders, everyone scurried close to the doors of the room. The archers, positioning their arms in position to throw a baseball, lunged the red bottles at the boss. Neither cracking nor dissolving, the bottles remained as they were; solid on the ground, with no apparent changes.

"Okay, shield-wielders! Grab your shields and defend yourselves and everyone else! Let's go, let's go!" He motioned for the remaining soldiers to get away, of which they complied within a heartbeat.

In such a short time, they were already in position. Adam pivoted over a shield-wielder, ducking low and peeking over the shield to look at the boss.

"Is this going to work..?" Sachi approached him, looking rather concerned. She trusted him with all her heart, but worried as to whether it was going to work now or not. She couldn't bear to see his plans, those that he worked so hard to produce from its seed, rot into nothing.

"It will, love. Just trust me," he smiled, clasping her hands in his softly. And even then, despite the many times they had engaged in moments of intimacy, her blush still found a way to reach her cheeks. 'Haha, cute…' He mentally chuckled, before gritting his teeth and letting out a loud yell. "Sequence Eight!"

*Ting!*

His words were like a password to some form of private lock, as the bottles instantly recognised his voice, as well as the password he set it to be. And just like that, he could feel himself growing excited and hopeful. This has to work..!

*Click.*

The sound of ticking began to ring in the room, accompanying the shadowing growls of the boss that struggled with its bindings. The scythes were slowly loosening the holds the rope had over it, but everything deemed inevitable could never be stopped.

It just happened too fast.

*BOOM!* *KRRKAAAAAA!*

"HyAAHhaa!" Every man and woman braced themselves for the powerful explosion, not having to expect it to be so destructive. Adam, he who manufactured the bombs with little to no help, found himself slightly regretting at the amount of gunpowder he used to make those bombs. The shockwave even nearly pushed Heathcliff down!

And once the collective spheres of flame and blinding light died down, it left nothing more than sizzling smoke that polluted the room's air, as well as a massive crater in the floor. The newest thing that everyone could now agree was rather unwelcoming was the smell of burnt flesh, which was weird, considering that the 'Skull Reaper' was all bones and little meat.

But talking about the monster…

"It's gone…" The lad muttered to himself, before his eyes shined with water and his smile grew to represent the growing joy of everyone around him. "We did it! It's gone!"

 ***Final Fantasy XV—Omnis Lacrima (End Song)***

 **"Indeed it is,"** everyone jumped at the new voice that echoed in the room, including Adam himself, whose anger began to grow once more. **"Well, if I had to give that a marking, I'd say… three out of five. Pretty generous of me, I know."**

"You..!" The venomous hiss that escaped his jaws seemed to have forced some of the people to back away from him. This was ever the first time they had ever seen him so angry beyond being annoyed at someone trying to steal his food.

 **"Yup, it's us!"** The same boss that Adam had met on the first floor that day arrived in the scene, towering over every human there was in the room. **"Sorry to spoil the moment, but you might want to get here soon enough! Your daughter is just _waiting_ to get eaten!"**

"You leave her alone!" His response came out so sudden and so intimidating, that the walls would have surely cracked under the pressure if they were willed to live.

 **"Peace, boy,"** the mysterious boss raised his arm in defence, showing no signs of guilt or fear. **"You might want to take baby steps here. Any wrong steps, and we can end this rambunctious game."**

"Cain and Abel… You might want to take your own at a careful pace, too. They might just punish you if you overstep your boundaries," his smirk that surfaced disappeared a moment later, replaced with a hateful frown. "They're still my children, after all…"

"Adam?" Bad timing, he thought. His wife was beginning to approach him, and he hadn't the time to explain everything to her.

 **"The bosses say that you can take anyone you want with you,"** the boss with the hammer blinked a few times, stroking his lower jaw as if there were a beard there. **"Of course, they wouldn't want you to have all the fun! Plus, the more there is, the more to eat~!"**

"Adam, what is going on?" Her tone started turning stricter, but he could still make out the lovingness and worry she always held in it. It was just a matter of time before she'd snap at him, he thought, so better he get straight to the point rather than keep it a secret for longer.

"I can't tell you, Asuna. If you do want to know," he turned around to face her, and she felt herself shrink under his expression. It was cold, calculating and merciless, and offered no place for pacifism. "You must come with me. Other than that, you will stay out of this."

"Oi, why the heck are you talking to Asuna like that?" The samurai was about to chide him for his way of speech, but seemed to back off when Heathcliff suddenly stood beside the lad.

"I'm going with Adam," the man told them, earning himself multiple gasps—one of them being his own friend's. "This war is as much of mine as it is his."

"Hey, this is my own sh*t to pay! I should be the one fixing it!" The lad snarled, shocking everyone in the area, including the mechanical tyrants. He never swore before! "Quiet! Comments come later! Heathcliff, you are staying with everyone here. End. Of. Discussion."

"Not quite, A.E.E," he shook his head, gaining questioning looks from the others and eliciting a flinch from his friend. "Yui is important to you. She was once to me, but that time is over. I created your sons. Let me fix my own mistakes as well."

"No sh*t, Sherlock! But guess what? You ain't the problem here. _I_ asked you to create them! Just let me go alone!" The lad bared all his teeth, the incisors slowly began to sharpen and take form as fangs.

'His transformation can no longer stop now…' The man sighed in his heart, but he couldn't give up on his friend now. "Please, A.E.E. It's not possible for you to defeat them all on your own. Your sons are a force to be reckoned with. They were the one that caused the 'Deletion' in the first place."

"Well, I'm still not letting you waste your life over this! The people needs a hero!"  
"And that hero is you."  
"GUYS!"

Too focused in their cryptic exchange of words, it was only fitting for Lisbeth to suddenly raise her voice into a shout, effectively knocking both of them out of their little moment, gaining all attention on her.

"There's a lot of things I'm going to address, and you better hear me good, mister," she glowered at her lover, mix of love and sorrow being quite apparent in her eyes. "One, why in the world did Heathcliff call you 'A.E.E.'? Two, what do you mean by 'Deletion'? Three, why is Yui important to Heathcliff of all people? Four, Cain and Abel. And lastly, do you _seriously_ think that we're letting you go alone?!"

"It's to keep you all from dying!" He cried out, flailing his arms in the air clumsily. "I can't forgive myself if you die right now! This is my own war to fight, not yours! You guys have family!"

"Well, you do too, 'cause we love you, you know that?!" The blacksmith retorted, little bits of water beginning to form in the tip of her eyes. "What if you die, huh?! What, you'd think we'd just mourn for you and just forget you? Hah, fat chance! Damn it, Adam, we love you so much, it's like you said! We're always going to worry about you! You're trying your best to solve the problems at hand, that you're always forgetting to take care of yourself! For once, Adam, be selfish and let us help you!"

"I can't do that! I've been selfish long enough! How many times do I have to break your heart just to get you to stop following me?!" He fought back with just the same amount of willpower, hoping very much that his words would have reached her and stopped her.

And yet…

"Y-You're wrong, Adam!" This time, it was the shy Silica that spoke up. "You'll never break our hearts, because even if you did, you'd always find a way to fix it! So please, let us fight by your side!"

"Yeah! We may not be as strong as you are, but damn the Gods if they think we're going to allow you to march off to your death alone!" Klein joined in with his own rebuttal, sporting a cross look that never happened before.

Wow, today was so full of firsts.

"We promised, Adam. You said that we'd fight together until the very end. You always keep your word, so let us keep ours," the strawberry blonde stepped closer to him, stopping just a feet before him, before brushing her fingers against her ring. "That day you vowed to love me… I took it as a way that we'd be together forever. As such, even if we were to die, I'd rather us die together. We're a family, Adam, and I'd rather be with you than anywhere else."

"D-Damn it…" He cursed under his breath, more of his hair beginning to turn white, but still, no one seemed to take notice of the change. "You guys suck."

"Well, if it means we get to be with you, then we'll suck as bad as we can," Klein proudly declared, earning himself a jab to the shoulder by Agil. "Ow! What the heck, dude?!"

"The way you said it didn't sit well with me," the man shrugged with a cocky grin, matching his glare with the samurai's.

 **"So…"** The tall, humanoid boss whistled, gaining everyone's attentions as they stared at them with a brow raised.

"You're still here?" Argo asked this time, surprised that they haven't left after this powerful verbal battle.

 **"We were seriously waiting for when you'd finish, considering that you'd want to get the girl back…"** The hammer-wielding boss sighed, scratching the side of his head with his fingers. **"So do you want to go or not?"**

"We'll go," Asuna had beaten her husband to the race, not allowing him the chance to even say anything. "I don't care what you want to say, Adam. We're coming with you, no matter what."

"Urgh…" He groaned, slapping his palm against his face before shaking his head. Pulling his hand away from his hand, he could only grin in slight amusement. "I swear, how in the world did I fall in love with you?"

"Because I'm such a sweet angel who only deserves the best~!" She teased him, surprising everyone as she pecked his lips with a short, yet sweet kiss. "We can do this together."

"…Okay," he nodded, turning to face the bosses. "Take us to my sons."

 **"And the ones to be coming with you?"** The humanoid boss seemed to grow eager at the thought of finally facing off against them, after waiting for so long. Two years are too long, after all.

"Heathcliff, commander of 'Knights of Blood', or Kayaba Akihiko," at his words, every player stared at him with much shock, but the lad continued. "Asuna, my wife. Lisbeth, Silica, Yolko, Sachi, Argo, Klein, Agil…"

"I want to come too!" A familiar voice penetrated the air, and when he turned to the source of the voice, he was met with hairs of camilla.

"Strea?" His eyebrow raised at this, as well with another figure joining the scene. "And Philia?"

"Hey Adam. It's been a long time," Philia smiled, tugging in loose orange strands behind her ear. "Gee, visit _Strea_ and _not me_ , huh? How does it go in Malay again..? Ah yeah! _Pilih kasih_ …"

"I swear that it wasn't on purpose," he groaned, slightly surprised that his orange-haired friend was slowly getting better with her speech in Malaysian. "But back on topic. You girls sure about this?"

"Girls are stubborn creatures, Adam. Once they've decided on something, they will go with it, no matter what tries to obstruct their path," a wise voice that seemed to set off everyone but Adam's alarms.

"PoH? You too?" He blinked in surprise, before noticing the outlining of a body behind his back. "And this is?"

"One of my guild members. Lux," he introduced her, pulling her out for everyone to see. She had long silver hair that ran past her shoulders, porcelain-like skin, amber eyes, and—

"No need to go that far…" He whispered to himself, before outstretching his arm with a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lux."

"T-The honour is mine, sir!" Lux took his hand, both hastily and hesitantly, eyes gleaming with nervousness and excitement.

"Please, just call me Adam. Sir makes me sound old," he chuckled, earning himself an apology from the girl. "Don't sweat it. So, is that all?"

"Hey Adam!" The lad was about to slap himself in the face for thinking it was over, and could see his ex-guild leader coming into view.

"Keita…" He whispered softly to himself, smiling gently as he made a slight bow. "Sorry for taking Sachi with me."

"Don't worry. Thing is, we can't come with you, so we thought of giving you our prayers," the brunette smiled, patting his friend's shoulder once. "So no matter what, don't lose, you hear me?"

"Yeah! We'll all get out of this alive!" Ducker grinned brightly, joined in with Sasamaru and Tetsuo.

"W-Wait up!" A new voice this time, and Adam could very well tell who it was. He met him in a restaurant, after all. "Adam..!"

"Nautilus. Yuna," he sighed, looking at them with a pitiful expression. "You guys came here to join us? It's not safe."

"B-But we want to help you!" He pleaded, looking desperate to assist him.

"It's not that I'm calling you weak, Nautilus, but this is a really deadly situation. My friends are coming with me because we work well together as a team. Surely you can understand," his expression displayed his guilt. He would've enjoyed it if the whole army could join in, but his sons wouldn't have allowed it anyways.

"Aww…" He whined as he sagged downwards for a moment, before rising to his full height. "Please come back alive, Adam! We still haven't repaid you, after all!"

"No need to, Nautilus. But I can promise you that we'll get back with, if possible, just a few scratches," he chuckled, turning his heels and walking towards the boss. "You'll answer a few questions of mine. What are you, who are you, and what do we do once we get to where we go?"

 **"We are Mechon. I am Metal Face, and this one is Xord,"** the mechanical being that looked closer to a skeleton than anything else introduced themselves, **"And don't worry. You won't get killed right off the bat! It'll just be a soft little talk at first."**

"Works with me," he shrugged, sparing a glance at his team once more. "I'm too lazy to ask you to change your minds, so I'll ask this instead. Are you ready?"

"Yeah!" Everyone answered with full vigour, earning themselves a grateful smile from the lad that was pure of fraudulence.

"Okay then," the 'Black Swordsman' took his wife's hand in his, crossing his other arm over his chest as he allowed a ready smirk to pop up. "I'm still hyper. Let's go!"

* * *

Flashback

 _"So you want sons?" Kayaba asked, eyebrows raised with slight curiosity. "Why is that?"_

 _"Because if I only had one, then the other would be lonely," A.E.E. explained, brushing his fingers against the couch they sat on. "To be honest, I always wanted to know what it was like to be a father, you know?"_

 _"Simply to say, it's possibly one of the most amazing things in the world," the man shared a smile with his friend, the latter becoming more giddy at the thought. "And of course, I will see to it that your dream comes true."_

 _"Thank you, friend. I don't know how I could ever repay you," the machina chuckled softly, leaning into the couch to relax._

 _"Anything for you and Yui," the man shook his head, joining his mechanical friend in their little napping session._

* * *

Present—Floor 100—Ruby Palace

'And my dream just has to change into a living nightmare…' He mentally groaned, feeling greatly impressed and sick by the sight before him.

The gigantic building before them was the 'Ruby Palace' itself. It was the living embodiment of a titan, piercing the sky and reaching even higher than the clouds ever did. Around it was just a vast stretch of meadow, as well as stone pathways here and there.

"Well, I did make it sound pretty dramatic back there," he remarked, eyebrow twitching slightly. "But explain to me why you guys are sightseeing, of all things?"

"Dude, this is the last floor! The last floor! And it looks awesome!" Klein's goofy smile was threatening to break the lad's serious demeanour, but it cracked too fast already.

"Gosh darn it… I swear, if I had a camera, I could've taken a picture of this," he chuckled to himself, looking up into the sky, and spotting a cube and a platform far up there. "What are those?"

 **"The platform is a sort of training grounds for Lord Cain and Lord Abel,"** Xord spoke with much respect, that the father feared of what those two had been up to for the previous years. **"And the cube? Well… It wouldn't be fun if—"**

"You're keeping Yui in there…" Despite sounding calm, even he couldn't rid himself of his shaky fear.

 **"Well, you solved it much quicker than I gave you credit for…"** The hammer-wielding Mechon sighed, before pointing to the palace. **"You might want to go see milords. They don't like to wait, you know."**

"Yeah, I can tell. They played their hands quicker than I thought they would," he sighed, before looking to his team. Everyone was present. "Okay guys, let's go."

"Right," everyone nodded in unison, further surprising of how they're remotely able to do it in the first place. Surely, it's because this is a game, right? Well… Realistic things are too much in this game to even call this a game in the first place. Of course, he would have settled for calling it 'just a game', if not for the fact that...

'If only Heathcliff didn't add in the hymen..!' He mentally snarled, staring at Heathcliff, whom seemed to shudder in response, as if he knew what the lad was thinking.

* * *

 ***M2U x Nicode—Stellar (Play Song—Repeat)***

"I swear, I never told you to put in 'fancy' in their mindsets," Adam breathed out, eyes wide with surprise at the sight before him.

"I never did, friend. You have my word," Kayaba, despite always being the calm and collected one, had been utterly impressed with the sheer beauty of the insides of the palace.

Everywhere they looked, there was bound to be something that either voiced out elegance or beauty.

The palace on itself was large, but it seemed that Cain and Abel had remodelled the insides to resemble one as well. Possessing a staircase that reached to a single platform that overlooked the ground floor, it also held a band of musicians on one end, as they played a beautiful music Adam remembered writing once. He could also see multiple NPC's wearing masquerade-themed masks chatting, eating and waltzing around, enjoying nothing more than the beautiful music and each other. Seats and tables were positioned everywhere, either empty or filled with people. The floor was shining, and the crystal chandelier at the top illuminated the very palace.

"Well, well. If it isn't the man we have been looking for," a familiar voice, younger than Adam's, brought in a sense of warmth with him.

"Indeed, brother. I'd have to thank the Gods for bringing father back," a second voice, this time sounding much more mature than the first one, added with a chuckle.

"To think that you grew so much…" Being a father was difficult for him, in ways when he had to deal with his mistakes as one—the ones in front of him right now. "Cain, Abel. Two years."

"Indeed," both brothers answered one after the other, showing no signs of malice of hostility towards their father.

Cain was the older brother, with long scarlet hair that ran to his shoulders. His eyes were that of emeralds, sparkling beautifully despite his heart as twisted as a madman. He had his father's lean build, and was just as tall as he was.

Abel, his younger son. Shorter hair that was green, with eyes that burned a fiery red. The complete opposite of his brother, Adam thought, with a few similarities. For one, Abel was shorter than his brother by a head, and had no muscles like Cain did. Even then, he was fit, making him look as charming as he remembered him to be.

Both wore tuxedos, presumably for this strange party. Adam couldn't help but feel impressed with his sons. Even now, despite promising himself to cut his ties with his mistakes, he couldn't help but still feel like their father. Proud, he felt, despite knowing how sick it was of him to be so.

"So, you guys are holding a party?" The lad asked, earning a nod from Cain. "And what for? As far as I know, your birthdays are on the eighteenth of October."

"Indeed. The very same day your _daughter_ died," Cain, despite chuckling at his own comment, seemed to be releasing some malicious aura, before it dissipated. "Ah, forgive me, father. In any case, I can see that you're still living, Kayaba."

"Of course. I just had to make sure that nothing went wrong with you around," he spoke briefly in response, merely receiving a chuckle from both of the brothers as a response.

"Oh, Kayaba. You sure can be quite the jester when you want to be," Abel laughed, straightening his tuxedo before looking to the group that were… busy indulging in the multiple selection of dishes served. "Well, isn't your group such a carefree one?"

"I told them not to worry so much. I suppose doing so will bring nothing more than just unpreparedness," the father shrugged, taking a hard look at the party before his expression smoothened. "Cain, Abel. I have a favour for you two."

"Anything," both sons replied in the same timing, seemingly eager to do anything for their father.

'If I had to say, it's their fixation towards their father that lead them down this hideous path…' Kayaba mentally commented.

"Cut the party, and give everyone here our little backstory," the lad requested, earning himself curious looks from his sons, before they turned into simple smiles.

"If that is what you wish, father," Cain nodded, positioning his middle finger on top of his thumb.

*Snap!*

 ***M2U x Nicode—Stellar (End Song)***

With a simple snap of the fingers, and the NPC's vanished into nothing more than colourful pixels. The music too stopped, as the absence of musicians caused it to be so. The food remained, seeing that some of their guests were still hungry.

"Huh? Where's the music?" Klein looked around, frowning when no melody filled the room. "Aww… And it was such a good tune too…"

"You can worry about that afterwards. For now, I suggest that we go speak to our leader," PoH offered, gesturing to the swordsman who stood beside two strangers.

With nothing else to do, and with stomachs filled—much to the lad's chagrin, since he didn't get to eat as well—everyone returned to their leader's side. Getting closer with him, they could see the slightly serious, yet passive look he had on his features.

"Well, everyone. These two are going to answer every questions you have. Don't hold back, alright?" He informed his group, before looking to the two. "And don't think of hiding anything. I will notice if there's any facts gone. Give them every truth there is."

"Understood," both red and green-haired teenagers nodded in response, before turning to the group.

"Heathcliff… Is he Kayaba Akihiko?" Sauna's question was responded with a nod from the redhead. "Alright. Why did Kayaba call Adam 'A.E.E.'? And what is your relationship with him?"

"A.E.E. is the first ever 'Artificial Intelligence' to have ever existed," Cain spoke briefly, earning surprised gasps from everyone besides the lad and his friend. "A.E.E. stands for 'Adam Eden Eve'. Adam is the name of which he used when he was reincarnated into this new world."

"W-What?" Sachi blinked in disbelief, looking to her lover for any signs of denial, but found none.

"I am, to be brief, the first ever 'Artificial Intelligence' to have ever existed," the lad confirmed the two strangers' words. "Yeah, I know. Shocking, really. In any case, focus on what they have to say."

"Well then, moving on. If you heard properly, A.E.E. has mentioned the names 'Cain' and 'Abel' a couple of times before, yes?" Abel spoke this time.

"Yeah… Whenever he mentions their names, Adam always refers to them as his sons," Silica nodded, with Pina sitting atop her head just because he can.

"Well, you're looking at them right now," the green-haired lad chuckled at the surprised looks from the others. "I'm Abel. My brother here is Cain. It is, forgive me for this, not a pleasure to meet you."

"Wow. Rude," the pink-haired blacksmith muttered under her breath, before coming forth with her own question. "Explain to us the 'Deletion'."

"Ah, of course! Oh, I love this part," Cain clapped his hands together, smiling brightly before his grin curled even upwards, somewhat possessing a sadistic look. "You see, it was the process of destroying the data of this game. Supposedly, it should have turned this whole game into a blank slate before we could've edit it. However, father was always a valiant man, and he had taken it himself to stop the process. This, in turn, removed many of his memories, including his past."

"And Yui..?" Asuna seemed desperate this time. She wanted to know whether she was safe or not, but she too couldn't help but wonder who, or what she was.

"Ah, of course. The she-bastard that stole father's heart and pried his eyes off of us," Abel remarked without any signs of regret, angering the strawberry blonde, who was ready to hit him before her husband held her back. "You see, I think I'd rather like Kayaba to say who she is herself."

Everyone, expect the ones with the knowledge of his past, turned to the man in question, awaiting his answer.

"…Yui's real name is Yui Akihiko," he answered, and looks of disbelief were shot here and there once the connection was made. "On the eighteenth of October, both A.E.E. in his machina body and Yui went out together. On that day, a terrorist attack occurred. It took her life, as well as several few. After that, I reprogrammed her memories so that an A.I. was born. I couldn't accept her as my Yui, so I changed her memories into thinking that A.E.E. was her father."

"W-W-What?" Asuna was visibly shaking now, overwhelmed with the new knowledge passed down to her. Adam was taking this slightly better, but he frowned nonetheless.

"So, is there anything else that all of you insignificant waste of space would like to know?" Cain's humble tone did not change the fact that he had regarded everyone excluding his father and Heathcliff coldly. Receiving nothing as a response, he smiled brightly. "Good! Now then, we are to be fighting, no?"

"Cain, Abel, how about a little wager?" The father called, instantly earning their attention. "This could be the final time we'll ever see each other. Once this is over, our time is up. Do you both understand?"

"Of course," both sons responded, as if the answer was so clear cut.

"Good… If I win, you are to return Yui to us, convert her data so that she may be saved within Asuna's 'NerveGear', and log every players in this game out," he began listing. "You will also convert Strea's data."

"Wait, Strea's an A.I. too?" Philia's jaws unhinged, as she stared at the girl in question, whom merely shuddered under the attention.

"Yes. She is a 'Mental Healthcare' program, just like Yui," the black-cladded lad nodded, turning to face his sons. "And you're curious what you'll get in return if you were to win?"

"Don't you mean when we win?" Cain lightly chuckled, returned with a snort from his father.

"Har har, very funny. If you win, you will still end the game and convert Yui's and Strea's data," at his words, the sons seemingly frowned for a brief moment. "But you will have my permission to remove the memories of the players of this game, as well as of me."

"W-What?!" Asuna paled for a moment there, accompanied with the churning of her stomach, but her husband did not give her the time to come up with a rebuttal, as he merely resumed.

"You will also remove traces of 'Sword Art Online' so that no one can track it. You will remove my memories of my past life, my current life, and remove my knowledge of my being," he continued listing, trying so hard to ignore the pained looks on his friends and loved ones.

"Y-You can't be serious…" Kayaba, for as long as he knew himself, was always a man who was capable to stay calm in every situation. The day his daughter died was painful, yet he managed to bear it.

And yet, as he stood here now, he stuttered.

"I actually am," Adam shrugged, sparing a glance at his friends before turning to face his sons once more. "And… I have one simple favour. A personal one, if you will."

"Father, any favours or wishes you have, no matter the number, we will carry them out," Cain puffed out his chest and straightened his posture.

"If it is in our power, of course," Abel added, earning himself a nod from his father.

"Of course… I would like it if you could create a memorial for every players that has passed," he requested, sounding more like a plead than anything. "Their families would at least love it if they could at least look at their children's names anytime they wish."

"They may be dead, yet their will and memories would forever carry on this way. Such a good man you are, father…" The green-haired boy feigned a sob, before nodding back. "Of course, it will be done. And has been done."

"So quick?" Klein blinked, unable to imagine that a request had been done in such a short span of time.

"Of course. We are beings that exist on a higher plane than you Australopithecus. Whilst we beings dwell in modern data, you're still busy playing with stone mechanisms. Truly, you should be ashamed of your dirty selves…" Cain shook his head in discomfort, not hiding the cocky grin he had on his face, which only served to burn the anger in everyone's hearts.

"Well, we humans live by a drive that gives us the determination to carry a task out," PoH was the calmest out of everyone else, but seemed annoyed as well. "So you should understand that you're the lesser being here. You were created by us, because that drive gave us the will to do so. Had we not possessed that drive, than you would have been nothing."

"Yes yes, I heard you very well," the redhead rolled his eyes, brushing aside the insult with much ease. "So, where would you like to commence this battle, father?"

"Here," the lad shrugged, his answer jumping off his tongue quickly. "Besides, why not at least make our final battle memorable? I'd at least want to fight somewhere beautiful. Just leave the place as it is."

"If you wish it, father," both children bowed in response, with Cain snapping his fingers in a swift movement.

Immediately, the Mechon from before appeared into the castle, standing tall and firm that it scared the humans here.

"These here are some of our creations," Abel introduced. "Metal Face and Xord, both of whom you've met already. Jade Face, the green one. Face Nemesis, the silver one. And Yalbadaoth, the golden one. Everyone, if you'd please?"

 **"A pleasure to meet you…"** Every Mechon chimed in unison, giving a curtsey that, in all honesty, all of them sucked at. Well, Face Nemesis and Yalbadaoth seemed more elegant than the others, so he'll forgive those two.

 **"Ah, and you must be my masters' father,"** Yalbaoth suddenly spoke up, smiling if he were any other normal creature. **"To say that your daughter exceeded my expectations. Well… I'm not surprised, considering that she's your daughter."**

"What did you do to her?" He opted to stay calm, but the lad couldn't resist the need to glare at him.

 **"Peace, please. I merely offered her a duel, and she took it without any hesitation,"** the golden Mechon shook his head at his words. **"And no, I did not wager anything. Only now, she is kept in the very cube that you see up in the sky."**

"Yui's in there..?" Asuna spared no time to waste, as she immediately turned to the floating box in the air, heart wrenching to accompany the frown she had. "Yui…"

"Well then, I suppose we get this show on the road, eh?" Cain began, grinning like a madman as he looked at everyone. "Oh, and I suppose I've never really told who's versus-ing who."

"Huh?" Klein drawled, his expression displaying every confusion he was feeling. "What do you mean? I thought all of us are fighting you?"

"Oh, but this is a personal matter between a family, infant," Abel huffed, not bothering to hide the satisfied smile he had just from saying that. "Brother and I wish to have a personal… chat with our father and Kayaba. Other than that, we'll—"

"It won't work like that," their father sighed, gaining their immediate attention just as quick. "Cain, Abel… I hate to say this, and it's just killing me to even think about it… A personal chat between family, is what you're thinking. Well, we're not family. Your father was long gone the moment he stopped the 'Deletion'. Right now, the A.I. before you is nothing more than a complete stranger who's wearing his skin. I have a new family, and my only child is Yui, with Asuna as my wife. My lovers, my friends… I see them all as my loved ones, and you are nothing more than outsiders. As such, we will fight you all, together."

Ending it with a heavy sigh, time stood still for quite a while. It had taken every ounce of his willpower to say it, considering that he never liked breaking a person's heart. But this was something that needed to be said. He didn't want to be the father to such horrible abominations, even if they were once his pride and joy.

And yet, there is always a side-effect to everything.

"…Y-Y-You're kidding, r-right father..?" Cain suddenly chuckled, slow and deathly that it somehow increased the tension in the air.

"I'm not, Cain," the lad shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest a moment later. "I will not look at you as my own kin, nor will I accept Abel. You two are fatherless orphans."

"T-T-T-That's p-preposterous!" Abel stuttered, eyes overshadowed by his hair—seriously, why does that even happen?—but his demented gape still left horrors to process. "T-That female A.I. is nothing more than Kayaba's fantasised slut! S-She is just a b*tch!"

"No she isn't," Adam glared at the children before him, heart stricken at the fact that his past-lover and current daughter was being called that, and that his sons were turning into this. "She… I fell in love with her in my old life, and she is my daughter in this one. You are nobody to me."

 _Nobody_ … Glass shattering in their own backgrounds, with their own hearts sinking deep below into an abyss… Everything was dead as Xord approached them to lay a metallic hand on his master's shoulder.

"LIARS!" Cain's voice adopted a higher pitch, but all the anger that rose from just that was enough to force the others to take steps away. "They are frauds! You're our father! That snivelling incest-whore took you away from us! And that woman you call your wife is nothing more than a cheating woman with fifty others in the dust! Those people you call your loved ones are nothing more than just those who manipulate you!"

"Whoa, calm down…" Adam blinked, slightly in disbelief and a little bit terrified at the sudden change in demeanor. 'Damn… How the hell did they turn this way..?'

"No, they're all bullsh*t, father!" Abel joined his brother in their little verbal war. Their mix of pain, agony and wrath materialised into black-purple auras that swivelled around them, slowly breaking away at the background. "You're being lied to! Once you start becoming close to them, they'll just leave you! They will forget you, and only remember you as that one person who was too gullible! They would laugh at the very thought of you as they drink horse piss in a tavern, all the while playing knives on their d*cks!"

'What the f**k?! That's dangerous!' The father paled for a moment, thinking what it would actually be like to cut one's genitals with a knife, but chose to discard that thought for now, and forever.

He didn't really need to think about something so… gory.

"Cain, Abel," his tone was harsher now, forced even. He couldn't muster every courage to say this, but at least more than enough, he thought. Crossed arms, straight posture, narrowed eyes, bared teeth—and his incisors that now look like fangs, hair now a crossbreed of black and white, unforgiving tone and most of all.

The masking of his love for his children, that he wished so much to display.

"We challenge you to a duel," Adam raised his hand, making the necessary invitations and sending it to each of the brothers. "You are not allowed to deny us this battle. My group against you and your Mechon."

The brothers, with wide and shaky eyes, suddenly gritted their teeth, tapping away on the blue circle and accepting their duel.

"All of you!" Cain and Abel yelled, harsh stare that would have pierced through a soul if they could delivered at the group behind their father. "Just you watch! For taking our father from us, we'll take EVERYTHING from you!"

And just like, the two brothers turned heels, moving past their metallic creations to their own part of the palace, indicating that it was their 'base'. The Mechon gave brief glances at the players, before joining their masters.

"Well,, we're screwed…" The lad sighed, before facing his friends with a nervous smile. "Went overboard, maybe?"

"A lot," everyone responded at the same time, the lad's heart and pride shattering at their words.

"H-Hey! It was the first time I had to ever do that, you know..!" Comical tears flowing down his eyelids, as all he received as a response from everyone else was a hearty laugh.

Unbeknownst to the group, the sons had heard well, and their own malice had grown deeper.

They were in for a Hell.

* * *

Flashback

 _"Father…" Yui's whimpering voice broke the silence, with her father looking at her with a curious tone. "I need advice…"_

 _"Oh, of course," Kayaba nodded, keeping a stoic mask as he invited her to sit beside him. "Come here."_

 _Nodding, she made her way towards him, sitting beside him on the couch. She ignored the advertisements on the television, but it was clearly beginning to take her mind off of the topic she wanted to discuss with her father._

 _"So, what will you need help with?" He asked, a moment of silence before all he received was a sigh from her._

 _"Father… You know that one stage in life?" She asked, her cryptic words earning her a questioning look from her father._

 _"Which one is it? Is it marriage?" At his words, she shook her head furiously—he couldn't help but noticed the way she blushed too. "Alright, then. Is it falling in love, per chance?"_

 _"…Yes," she nodded, silent then._

 _"Oookay…" He drawled, surprised that she was at that phase already. "So, is there a boy you like? Tell me about him first. And I won't take a punk as my son-in-law."_

 _"N-N-No! He's not a punk!" She shook her hands in denial, calming her father's heart by a bit. "Far from it, really. He's a really sweet person. He's kind, gentle… He could never harm a fly even if he could. And he loves painting, and they're very beautiful. He enjoys singing, but he always tells me that he enjoys my singing more. And at times, we just like to talk, you know?"_

 _"I see…" Kayaba considered every words that left her mouth, mind already beginning to make the connections. "And what else?"_

 _"Well… He doesn't know that I like him yet, and he probably doesn't hold those type of feelings towards me yet…" Yui's chuckle was soft, nervous even. "But I still like him nonetheless! He's always helped me with my problems, I—"_

 _"He helped you get over your fear of singing in public," the father began listing, earning himself a surprised look from his daughter. "Yui, do you want to know what I have to say?"_

 _For the first time in her life, she felt scared of her father, trepidation and suspense raised to its limit as she waited her response._

 _She knew, oh she knew! He was not a human, but she still fell in love with him! He was far more perfect than any other boys she knew, and he didn't take advantage of her!_

 _So, what would her father say?_

 _"Yui…" He began, a pleasant smile on his face as he parted his lips._

* * *

Present

"Go for it," Heathcliff answered with a smile. "No doubt will the Mechon be hard to deal with. So for now, we'd need to make them our top priority."

"Yeah, no kidding," the lad sighed, scratching the back of his head with his free hand, as the other held his wife's. "So, no doubt will Cain and Abel be targeting you guys, even though I was the one that provoked them…"

"Jeez… I get the chills just from looking at the way they stared at us..!" Klein shuddered, static pulsing through his spine. "Seriously though, they are really devoted to you."

"Uurgh… I don't even want to know how that happened…" The lad groaned, earning him a slight laughter from his friends. "In any case, we'd need to distract Cain and Abel as we fight off the Mechon. I'll go."

"I'll join you as well," the strawberry blonde's grip over his hand tightened by a bit. "At least together, we'll be stronger."

"And I will as well," Heathcliff spoke up, no fear being apparent in his outlook. "You'll need someone to be your shield after all."

"Alright… Now listen up, this will be how you'll defeat the Mechon," immediately, everyone's focus was piqued on his words. "Take down Xord first. Try to topple him. Attack him with everything you have then. Metal Face will probably rely on his cannon, so break it first before you attack him. Face Nemesis is weak in the chest, for some reason I don't really know… Jade Face's legs aren't build firm, so you can disable his movements by breaking those. And lastly, Yalbadaoth. Avoid fighting him. He will use a sword if need be."

"But won't they fly and stuff?" Klein brought up, earning himself a firm nod from his friend.

"Observant. Well, we needn't worry. Cain and Abel will probably tell them not to, just to be fair," Adam reassured them, eliciting breaths of relief from them all. "Oh, and just so you know, your current weapons won't do any damage on them as it is."

"What!" All of them exclaimed at the same time, effectively breaking his ear drums and leaving behind a ringing in his ears.

"There's another way!" He screamed, popping his fingers into his ears to stop the ringing. "Ahh… Look, I built these devices that can be placed on your weapon so that they'll be able to damage the Mechon. Don't ask how it'll work, but just know that it will."

Adam proceeded to pass a strange ring of sort to them. It was a wide, metallic silver ring with a pulsating green line that ran in it. Trusting him, they moved to their weapon's hilts, before they suddenly pulsed brightly, and clammed down on the hilt, growing smaller to fit the size.

"Alright, done," the lad nodded, satisfied with the result. "Well then, now you will be able to damage the Mechon. And don't worry, it won't break from any damage."

"Alright, now we're in action!" Klein, wielding his 'Wakizashi' grinned brightly, pumping his fist in the air with a triumphant smile.

"Don't get cocky. We haven't even started fighting them…" Lisbeth sighed, gaining herself a nervous chuckle from the samurai.

"Well guys, one final battle, and we'll be home free," the A.I. smiled, looking to each of them to remember their faces before he'd go.

It felt horrible to do this, but it was necessary.

Asuna, his wife, as she sheathed her rapier. Sachi approached the former, shaking her hand as her blue hair shook as she did. Lisbeth and Silica still seemed the best of friends, closer than ever. Argo had placed down the sacks of gold she carried by her belt, and Yolko came along, surprised at her actions. Strea and Philia were examining their weapons to make sure they were in tip-top condition. Klein swung his katana around, earning himself a few chiding from Heathcliff and PoH, much to his embarrassment.

"S— _Adam_ …" The lad hid his surprised jump well, turning to the source of the voice and spotting Lux, who approached him slowly.

"Lux. Hey. Sorry for dragging you into this mess…" He sighed, apologetic expression displaying no lies in his words.

"N-No! It's alright! PoH always did say that I was one of the strongest, so…" She tapped her fingers together, averting her gaze from his eyes. "Well… It's just, the day that we came to your marriage, he said that there was going to be a day when he'd need my help so to help you. I didn't know that he clearly meant about today…"

"Wow. Is he a psychic?" He jested, eliciting himself soft titters from the girl.

"Haha, yeah! Well, when he mentioned you, I just couldn't say no, to be honest," she admitted. "I really want to help you, because you're trying to help us get out of here. If this means that we'll get to save the lives of thousands, I'm more than happy to do so."

"Yeah… And I'll make sure that you won't die," he nodded, smile on his face sending butterflies in her stomach. "Go call everyone else now, would you? It's time."

"R-Right!" She nodded, quick to leave his side as she went to call the others. He sighed, grim expression sported for just a moment before it turned back to a passive look.

"Ah, screw it. As long as they'll get out of here alive, it's more than enough…" He smiled, the looks of their faces burned into his memories forever.

It will be his last light to hold onto.

* * *

An Hour Later

"So, you came…" Abel grimly noted, already letting his emotions to spiral, yet still in control. "The duel will be a simple duel. I and Cain will lead an army of Mechon against you. You are to defeat just I and Cain, the kings of this little game of chess. If you were to defeat just us two, the battle is done, and the game will log everyone out."

"Hope you're ready, because we will not hold back," Cain cackled, outstretching his arm as he positioned his thumb over his middle finger, with everyone bracing themselves to attack, or to be attacked. "Let there be WAR!"

*Snap!*

 ***Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE—Normal Battle (Play Song)***

Pixels of light swirled in the air, taking shape of men and women, masked with the faces of the dead, as they began playing a song. A song all too known by the black-cladded swordsman.

"God, this song…" The lad grimaced at the very familiar sound, earning himself a bellowing laughter from the brothers.

"Yes, father! It is the very same song you created the day you came into this world!" Cain laughed, sounding happy for just a moment, before—

*Boom!*

"At arms, everyone!" The swordsman yelled, everyone bringing up their swords and ready to parry.

*Clang!*

"Isn't this such a perfect moment?!" The redhead cackled, madness already having possessed his mind and heart. "To play this in the moment that your manipulators die?! Such a generosity! In fact, they shouldn't even be listening to this in the first place!"

"Jeez, nice music, but weird situation," the swordsman sighed, pushing Cain away with a kick to the gut. "Everyone, please focus on the task at hand! Ignore Cain and Abel, and target the Mechon as I said! Asuna, Heathcliff, go for the brothers!"

"Right!" Everyone already ready to play their parts, they merely needed to get to their targets.

"Oh, well goodie-goodie! I get to take the life of the woman who f**ked our father!" The green-haired boy howled with much bloodlust, pulling out a buster blade from seemingly nowhere. "Now then, say your prayers!"

"Asuna, duck!" She only obliged to her husband's advice, crouching deep to her knees. "Heathcliff!"

"On my way!" The man nodded, stepping forwards and wielding his sword.

*Ching!*

It was a spur of the moment, but it seems that the 'Knights of Blood' commander managed to block the buster blade.

"Eat this!" The swordsman rushed his green-haired son, using the moment he was caught off-guard to deal a flurry of blows, producing red strokes along the boy's body.

"Argh! Cain, brother, help me here!" Abel pleaded, his redhead of a brother arriving a moment later and tackling his father to the floor like a bull.

"Gah!" The lad felt the air escape him for awhile, before a beautiful green shade occurred over him.

"Forgive us, father. But we will not let you die!" The redhead cried out, aggro needn't be increased as he shifted his attention to the shield-wielder. "Step aside, Heathcliff! Or I'll tear you apart!"

"It is a challenge I am willing to accept," Heathcliff grinned, matching the toothy smile on the redhead's features.

No words were needed to be exchanged, as Cain instantly took the offer, dashing forwards as he pulled out a simple scabbard and a Macuahuitl, sparing the man no mercy as he activated a 'Sword Skill' and broke the man's defences apart.

"Shoot!" The lad's eyes shot open, as he immediately ran to assist his wife and friend.

Off to the other part, the Mechon were apparently having difficulties with the human players. Not only were they well-prepared, but they too had their own tactics to trick them. But it was certain enough that—

*Ching!*

 **"Ghaaa!"** Xord staggered for a moment, finding a large gash on his chassis. **"That hurt!"**

"Nothing you can't handle!" Lisbeth snickered, beating against the wound with her mace, before stepping aside. "Switch!"

*Bang!*

 **"Ghyaa!"**  
"Hraagh!"

Agil landed a powerful slam onto the wound, effectively breaking the torso apart as it revealed nothing more than emptiness. The Mechon howled, experiencing a pain that kept biting him everywhere, until he felt himself lose his spirit.

*Thud!*

 **"D-Damn it…"** The Mechon turned to his comrades, sporting a look that displayed slight regret. **"Well, this is enough for me, I suppose… Time to take out anyone with me!"**

Not understanding what he meant, none dared to get close to him as a 'Click!' sound made itself apparent in the room. Only then did they understand—

"He's going to blow!" Lux cried out, scurrying to her feet and taking cover behind walls, followed later with everyone else.

 **"You've done well..!"** Xord laughed, wheezing from the pain and feeling his own 'blood'—green and neon-like—flow out of him. **"Have fun trying to beat—"**

*BOOM!*

"Sh*t!" Adam dropped to his knees, with his friend and wife getting close to him a moment later—Heathcliff bearing his shield to protect them from the shockwave and smoke, and Asuna taking coverage with her husband. "What the hell..? He died early..."

"It seems that Xord has been defeated," the 'Knights of Blood' commander remarked, waiting until the shockwave was over before motioning for the other two to stand up. "This seems slightly easier than the one against the 'Skull Reaper'."

"Don't jinx us just yet, old friend," Adam chuckled, swiping his sword across him before running forwards once more. "Let's go!"

Nodding, Asuna and Heathcliff ran on either sides of him, their targets in sight.

Not bothering to say anything, Cain held his Macuahuitl high in the air, passing his father to strike Asuna in the heart. He was just close, but the lad had caught him by the shoulder, twisting him around in a swift moment, and—

*Thud!*

"Gah!" Blood trickled out of the redhead's nose, curtesy of his father's forehead slamming hard into his face. He struggled to gain his sight, as colours and light mixed in to confuse him. "Ah, father!"

"Not enough!" The lad spared his son no mercy. He proceeded to chain an attack on his eldest son with Asuna, whom activated 'Quadruple Pain', thrusting her rapier at his body equal to the number of times in the name of the skill, before pulling herself back to allow her husband to slam the butt of his sword to the side of the redhead's skull.

*Thud!*

"Brother!" Abel cursed at himself for his ignorance, pounding Heathcliff's cheek with his free hand to rush towards his brother's side. "Leave him alone, you whore!"

"Asuna," said person looked to the black-white haired lad, only now noticing the change in colours. "Parry his attack. I'll do the rest."

"R-Right," she nodded, dumbly, but got the message clear cut.

Heart pumping too much adrenaline, he couldn't stop himself from pulling his buster blade behind him, before curving his sword into an arc and meeting Asuna's.

*Ching!*

"Switch!" She yelled after she parried his attack, forcing herself to back away and watch as Adam did a—

*Thud!*

"Ghuh!"  
"What?"

She didn't understand! Why in the world did Adam kick him in the air? Answer is—

*BOOM!*

 **"Oh, f**k!"** Was all that left Metal Face's jaws, unable to do anything as he watched the laser beam he was aiming for the white-haired girl with the big bust hit one of his masters.

 **"Ahh… You're screwed,"** Jade Face snickered, only for a moment before he felt himself stabbed in the knee. **"Damn it!"**

"Now, Agil!" Yolko signalled, the tall and burly man taking it with a nod as he rushed forwards, switching with the girl and—spinning his mace for but a second—swiftly bashing his metallic weapon against the green Mechon's leg, forcing him to drop down to one knee.

"Alright, let's do this!" Philia, all the more pumped up for this, allowed arrows upon arrows to be clipped onto her bow, pulled back and let loose, forming a shower of metal-ended sticks to bury themselves into the toppled Mechon.

 **"For f**k's sake, this is getting us nowhere!"** Metal Face hissed, willing his boosters to roar to life and taking to the air.

 **"Metal Face, master did not tell us to do that!"** The airborne Mechon paid no heed to his golden comrade's words, thinking that his master would appreciate his doing.

 **"Let's see how they'll like this!"** His metallic and deep laugh accompanied the sound of his cannon spinning to life, before air was superheated, forced to turn into plasma and shape in his cannon. **"Hahaha!"**

*Piuzzzz…!* *PHAAA!*

"W-What the?!" Cain watched as the Mechon fired his cannon everywhere. "Damn it! Barrier!"

At his command, the floor was willed to life, as ground formed around him and his brother into a dome, protecting them from the blast.

"Everyone, get into cover!" The leader of the humans commanded, worry flooding over him as he crouched under the shield that Heathcliff held up. Not content, he raised his arm to hold it as well. "Hold on!"

*BOM!* *BANG!* *BOW!*

"GHHAAA!" The lad could hear himself scream from how powerful the blast was, pushing the shield greatly down before he forced himself to push it back up.

 ***Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE—Normal Battle (End Song)***

The blast terrorised the battlefield, leaving craters and dead musicians on the ground. Thankfully, Adam was able to regroup with his army, seeing no one dead.

'I won't say yet, 'cause I don't want anyone to die at all…' He thought with a sigh of relief, watching as the culprit behind the destructive firepower slowly drop down to the ground.

"Damn it, the guy had the guts to fire at us!" Philia hissed, ready to move forwards until the ex-leader of 'Laughing Coffin' stopped her.

"Hold, lass. Everyone else, do so as well. It seems that something interesting is about to occur," the grin on his face told everyone else that his instincts weren't off.

Deciding to trust him—it was hard to do so at first, but the hilarious way he handled Adam and Asuna's marriage that day did much to ascertain them that he'd be an ally, and their friend reassured them himself—they stayed their hands, choosing not to do anything unnecessary.

 **"Well, guys? What did you think?"** Metal Face laughed, landing without a hitch. **"Pretty destructive, don't you think?"**

 **"Yeah. Though, you didn't do anything,"** Yalbadaoth sighed, responded with a 'Huh?!' from the other Mechon. **"Well, you definitely destroyed the 'Ruby Palace' by quite a lot. And the worst part of it… is that you nearly killed our masters' father, which we were strictly told not to, and that you destroyed the musicians."**

 **"O-Oh… Okay, I can understand the part about the father being killed, but what's so important about the musicians?"** Metal Face dared ask, still not noticing that Cain was holding his Macuahuitl by his side, just behind him.

 **"Do you know who produced the song?"** Face Nemesis asked, slinging Jade Face's arm around her shoulder.

 **"Their dad, duh,"** he chuckled just for a moment, before his laughter died down, plus the way his jaws unhinged themselves to display the slow terror that washed over him. **"H-Hang on… You don't think—"**

*CHING!*

Cries and yelps from the human army, and the silent flinches from his Mechon comrades, as they stared wide-eyed at his demise.

*Thud!*

"Dare cut our father's music over…" Cain hissed, merciless as he kicked the split skull of the Mechon aside, satisfied that he had divided the once-was-living Metal Face's whole being in half. "Damn imperfection! Both you and Xord are the same scraps from the same sh*t!"

"Ouch…" Klein softly commented, flinching when the redhead's gaze shifted to him, only for it to soften when it switched to Adam, much to the samurai's relief.

"Forgive us, father… We promised you that we wouldn't kill you," the redhead shook his head, looking silent for awhile, before his grin popped up on his face.

"Now, why don't we resume this battle?" Abel spoke for his brother, digging his buster blade in the ground in the process. "Let's see… How about we go for something more… soothing?"

*Snap!*

 ***Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of the Sky—Dialga's Fight to the Finish! [Extended] (Play Song)***

From the dust came new musicians, shaped into strange creatures like a red pig and a yellow rat, before they started playing another music that their father had composed.

"Fitting…" Adam thought, sad for a moment before he raised his sword once more. "No more obstacles. Let's get this over with!"

"Haha! I love that spirit!" Cain laughed, letting his Macuahuitl rest by his side.

"Indeed, the time is nigh! You will join us, father!" Abel twisted the hilt of his buster blade, and the weapon seemingly veered to life.

"Yeah, we'll see about that!" The battle, accompanied with the gentle music that spurred the drums of war, was closing in on its ending. "Let's put this whole ordeal to rest! Everyone, human, A.I. and Mechon, give it your all!"

"Right! / **Right!"** Both humans and Mechon roared at the same time, and began the tapestry of fate!

The armies rushed at each other, now united, for war.

And began the enemy's phase!

*Ching!*

"Push her back!" Adam commanded, Klein nodding as he forced Face Nemesis back. The player's turn. "Strea! Cut her down! Heathcliff, block Yalbadaoth's sword! Agil, with me!"

On par with his words, Strea had begun dealing damage against Face Nemesis, assisted by Yolko and Sachi a moment later. Heathcliff did as he was told, raising his shield high as a barrier against the golden Mechon's sword, effectively blocking the attack. Agil, not knowing what was going through his friend's head, merely ran to him.

"What now?" He asked, earning himself a grin from the lad.

"Jade Face," was all that he said, and the older man could already get the message.

Their target in sight, the swordsman and mace-wielder ran forwards, with the former calling for his pinkette lover to join him, of which she complied.

"Agil, Lisbeth, knock him down," he commanded, of which they took to running towards the Mechon, stopping just a feet before swinging their heady weapons at their targets.

*Bang!* *Thud!*

 **"Oh frukingahgsda!"** His ability of speech malfunctioned for him just a bit, giving off only gibberish nonsense as he dropped down.

"Asuna, Yolko, four strikes! Philia, storm him! Argo, get the boombayah!" His orders were resolute, watched by his sons who were in awe with his leadership skills.

"Boombayah..?" Agil repeated, eyebrow raised in confusion.

"Do know that it was hard for me to even say it…" He sighed, pushing the thought of the hot Korean chicks out of his mind. The last thing he needed was to suddenly whip his head around and begin a dance. "Commence!"

 **"WHuHHAFSA!"** The green Mechon still had no control over himself, only able to accept his fate of eight thrusts from rapiers, accompanied with a shower of arrows over him, topped up with… red bottles? **"khggaAAT?"**

"Bang!" Was all he heard the auburn knife-wielder say—

*Click.* *BOOM!*

Before he felt his whole body and will burnt away by the sheer firepower behind the explosion that erupted from the explosive. His shrills only lasted for half a minute, before they finally died down, along with the fire that opened up to reveal a dead Mechon.

"Amazing…" Cain and Abel mouthed at the same time, not noticing that the man they were just busy adoring were—

*Thud!* *Shin!*

"Hah!" The swordsman allowed his boot to make contact with the spine of his redhead of a son, before he moved his 'Elucidator' to cut through his green-haired son, before kicking him away with his boot. "Abel is strong! PoH, Heathcliff, help me deal with him! Cain is the faster one of the two! Lux, Asuna, Yolko, go for him!"

"Understood!" Taking positions, they rushed towards their target, not giving them the time to regain themselves.

"Everyone else, keep Yalbadaoth and Face Nemesis off of us!" His words were beginning to turn coarser now from all the shouting, but he paid it no mind.

"You got it!" Klein gave a thumbs-up, regretting the fact that he took his eyes off the enemy as he was close to getting himself cut by the golden tyrant. Thankfully enough, his bald friend was quick to parry the attack. "Man, I owe you!"

"A beer when we get back," Agil said, both smirking at the man's words.

 **"Yalbadaoth, what do we do..?"** Face Nemesis asked, backing away from the humans, forced to slam the flat edge of her weapon against a merchant's face and a little girl's body. **"At this rate, we'll…"**

 **"I know. But our masters' opponent is none other than their own father. They will accept this defeat with grace,"** the other Mechon replied, readying himself in his stance. The sword he wielded was already slightly bloodied, having to cut through a samurai and a girl with white hair. **"All we need now, is to brace ourselves. As long as we remain, our masters will fight on."**

 **"…If you say so,"** she nodded, already accepting her fate of death with an open heart. But even so, she will continue to fight if she can do so.

"Pathetic!" Cain howled, grunting just a bit as he received a stab to his knee by the purplette. "I'll see how you'll like it when I do the same!"

"Try as best as you could, then," Yolko glared back, switching with Asuna to allow her to do a powerful cut.

"GHHAA!" Abel screamed, feeling the appendage in his knee split. He dropped to the other leg, smirking when he managed to stand up once more. "I can still fight… I will not let you take father away…"

"It won't happen…" Adam shook his head, everyone misinterpreting his words as he would win. "You'll lose, no matter what! Heathcliff, PoH, chain em'!"

"Right!" The two guild-leaders nodded, rushing the green-haired madman—he was beyond saving, more so to love—and slashing at him, allowing one another to deal a blow on him. Abel had no moment to bring up his sword to parry or defend, as they'd hit a part he had left uncovered, much to his chagrin.

"Alright, get back!" They heard Adam's call, of which they did as they were told, watching as he closed the distance between himself and his son, and—

*Thud!*

"Rhhaa!" The lad kicked his son in the gut, knocking him back by quite a distance, watching as the green-haired boy skidded a good distance, before landing just beside his brother.

"…Hello," Abel greeted despite the pain.

"Stand up already," Cain sighed, pulling his brother up to his legs before holding his scabbard in front of him. "What now?"

"Father is a being who can stop the flow of destiny, brother…" The younger sibling chuckled, red liquid spat from his throat and onto the ground. "There is nothing that can be done."

"Cain, Abel," both sons turned to their father, one last time as they take a good look at his face. "You already knew that this was going to happen."

He readied his swords, positioning both 'Elucidator' and 'Dark Repulser' by his sides as he gritted his teeth.

"DIE!" Was the last thing they could hear from him—

*ZZZZK!*

 ***Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of the Sky—Dialga's Fight to the Finish! [Extended] (End Song)***

*Chng..!*

Weapons dropped to the ground, as the toothed sword clanked against the stones, and the large buster blade drop with a loud thud… All they felt now was the sharp sensation of a foreign object in them, and the way the blades seemed to shake in them.

"F-Father..?" Cain managed, able to catch a glimpse of the pained look on the lad's face, before he averted his gaze to the ground, not allowing them to look at him.

"I'm sorry…" The swordsman apologised, keeping his swords in place. The black cut through the red, whilst the blue pierced the green. "I wanted us to be a family… But I was too blind…"

"N-Nonsense…" Abel laughed, stopping after a while when the searing pain down in his stomach increased. "We were at fault, after all… We caused the 'Deletion'. You stopped it, just like the knight in shining armour you are…"

"Damn it… Couldn't we be a family all this time..?" Tears hissed in his eyes, and the lad could feel and see them drop the ground. "Even if we ended the game, we could've just converted your data as well…"

"Sorry, father… We may as well be quite possessive when we want to…" Ironic, Cain thought, since it was the very truth. "In any case, we know that you didn't mean what you said, father. You looked hurt when you said them…"

"F**k…" The lad cursed, black turning white.

"Well, game over, I suppose…" Both sons laughed, head feeling light and body beginning to feel weak. The knees, especially. "Father, we love you. Don't ignore the others, you hear..?"

And it was the most beautiful thing, they thought, that their father still regarded him as their children, even when they had done everything to take the life of his loved ones. There was no more pain or regret, for in the end, their father still loved them.

'No matter what, we're a family. Don't forget that, alright kids?'

His words to them when they first came into this world, before they became the demented ones they were today, still rung clear in their minds.

So, that was why, even when they were dying right here, at the top floor of the game called 'Sword Art Online', with a sword in their guts, they were able to die smiling.

Because their father was there.

*CHH!*

And gone were his two flesh and blood, now replaced with shards of colour and light. The swords clanked and clunked against the ground. But the swordsman never joined his weapons. He kneeled down, brushed the sides of the blades, before joining his friends, leaving the swords behind.

"It's over, everyone," the lad smiled, right eye pulsating blue once before disappearing. "And it's done. Yui's and Strea's data have been converted and saved in your 'Nerve Gear', Asuna."

"Really?" She blinked in disbelief, tearing up when he gave her a nod. "Thank God..!"

"Wait, shouldn't we go get her then?" Klein asked, a grin popping on his face. "I mean, she'd be dying to see her father for sure! So let's—"

"I'd rather her not be here," the lad shook his head, earning shocked looks from everyone else. "You see…"

*Chh!*

Gasps filled the room as a streak of light broke from their friend. Said person looked to his arm, and smiled at the sight.

His body was dissipating.

 ***V.K—Xue Wu (Play Song)***

"W-W-Wait! Why the hell are you disappearing?" The samurai stepped forwards, eyes bored out of their sockets as he stared at his friend, whom only stood there.

Smiling.

"It was supposed to happen anyways…" The lad sighed, feeling a strange warmth from dying. "It's… strange. I went through the stages of grief… I couldn't accept it at first, the thought of people dying I mean. Thousands were already dead, so that's that… And then I became mad at myself…"

As he continued speaking, even more of his body broke into a spectrum of colours, but he paid it no mind.

"And I kept thinking, what could I have done to keep this all from happening? Mind you, my sons were the ones that caused this game to be 'kill when dead'," he spoke with a husk of his voice, noticing the way his wife was shaking. "But then, I felt horrible. The thought of people dead always slept with me in my nightmares. But then, meeting you… I came to accept it all. Funny how things go, no?"

"T-T-This can't be happening…" Asuna shook, beginning to tremble as he may describe her. "This isn't fair! Why are you dying?!"

"Because I was the program that supported my sons, who in turn support the game's system," he explained, brushing his thumb against her luscious lips. "Because I have no purpose, I am now being 'disposed'. But don't take it as a bad way. It's just another way to say it."

"You can't die!" She sobbed, loud and clear for everyone to hear. "You promised me!"

"And I'm afraid I'll have to break that promise…" He laid his lips on her forehead, keeping her in place to his chest. "To you, Asuna," he then looked to his friends. "And all of you…"

Sachi was crying. Lisbeth was blinking, eyes wide with shock and denial. Silica had already begun praying, hands clasped together. Yolko passed out a moment later. Argo was cursing at fate. Heathcliff was broken in the heart. Klein dropped to his knees. Agil, who was always standing tall and firm, began looking looser. PoH frowned, unable to do anything. Lux cried for him. Strea kept screaming for him not to go. Philia begged him to stay.

Asuna was crying in his arms, her armour and dress slightly torn from the heated battle from before. She looked so beautiful, he couldn't lie to himself; he wanted to be with her forever.

But dreams were only sweet words. They weren't reality.

"Kayaba," said person braced himself for his next words. "Keep everyone safe. Please, live long, friend. Asuna," the person in his arms whimpered in response. "Tell Yui that I'm sorry, and that I love her. And I love you," he whispered in her ear, before looking to everyone else. "I love all of you too…"

Just a moment more…

His last memories was the picture of his loved ones, all smiling as they stood in a row, goofy looks as tongues were shot out from their lips and teeth were bared. They did all sorts of poses, and he could just laugh at the picture.

Of course, the picture was never taken in the first place. He just somehow managed to imagine them all.

He was in the centre, with Yui and Asuna beside him. Then there was Kayaba. Then came in Sachi and her guild. Then Yolko with her guild. Then Silica and Lisbeth. Then Argo. Then Strea and Philia. Next, Klein with his guild and Agil. PoH and Lux were there with him.

"Such a beautiful picture…" He whispered to no one in particular, and soon…

 **"ADAM!"** He could hear his fairy friends, Tatl, the older brother, and Tael, the younger sister, cry out in unison. Ah... He couldn't believe that he didn't wish them as well.

"I love you guys…" He whispered, still smiling. "Bye…"

*Khh…* *CHH!*

And she almost stumbled, for the loss of a body made itself apparent, replaced now by artistic colours of light, reds, yellows, blues, greens, and the other colours that made up this world and the other.

And for once…

"ADAM!" She was broken.

*Crack!* *Boom!*

And the palace began crumbling.

And the game ended.

 ***V.K—Xue Wu (End Song)***

* * *

Somewhere

…Where was this?

Looking around, he could see no one. Where was this, to be honest? He had expected there to be some form of life, but all he could see was pitch black.

*Kha!*

Oh? What's this?

Before him, two circular nodes similar to a circuit formed. They were two purple circles, with one being a lighter shade of camilla than the other. Curious.

Soon enough, another node formed, connecting itself to the previous nodes with a line. This node was icky, he thought, as it had black mud forming from it.

He didn't like it, not one bit.

And, as if acting to his imagination, the purple nodes from earlier grew darker, looking sick. He didn't like this new colour. It was as if someone mixed green paint with purple.

He moved his… What was this? There was something protruding out of him? Looking at it, it looked like a slim stick with an end that has five ends poking out of this. Strange…

No matter. He moved his stick forward, and willed his second little stick, which was longer than most, to poke at the black node.

He could feel himself growing somewhat sick just from touching the vile object.

Out of instincts, he believed, he moved his stick away, the little stick still holding onto the node.

Due to this, the black node was forcefully detached from the purple nodes. He looked at it, perplexed, until the black node crumbled into dust.

Looking back at the purple nodes, they turned back to the beautiful colours they once were.

Satisfied, he curled into a ball, floating in this endless sea of black, illuminated by splotches of white in the distance. At least those colours went back to being nice-looking.

Unbeknownst to him, however, two girls awoke in a hospital, their heart monitors skyrocketing to life and basically announcing their presence to the nurses and doctors.

Oxygen filled their lungs, and, despite the air becoming dirty by a bit, they somehow lived.

He didn't know at all. All he did was turn purples back to the nice shades they were before the black node attached itself to them. To the humans, he saved the lives of two girls.

* * *

 _And thus ended the life of the first being that existed, not as an animal, nor as a human, but as an 'Artificial Intelligence'._

 _He lived, he loved, and most importantly of all, he returned the lives to those who lived._

 _He left behind a girl who was once his lover, now his daughter. He left behind his friend who created the world. He left behind the strawberry blonde that he married. He left, at most, thousands of players._

 _He watched them return to the Real World, as he remained destroyed in this data one._

 _May peace be unto him._

* * *

~Fin

* * *

 _…Oh, he's alive already..?_

* * *

A/N: Well, that's a wrap!

So, to be honest, I hope that it isn't rushed or anything. I know it lacked a lot of parts, but please believe me when I've been putting every ideas into this, all the while trying to shape them properly. Maybe I didn't have enough dough to make the cookie..?

Nonetheless, this is the final chapter of the first arc! Fitting? Strange? Forced? Maybe the one thing you can agree about this whole chapter, was about the music. Not the usage of it, but that they are amazing.

In any case, sorry for the late update. I'm working on a new story, whilst writing new chapters for 'Knight to the SnowWhite'. It's hard as it is already, but I think I can manage.

On the plus note, I can't imagine how far this story has come! 4800+ views! If that's not impressive, I'd say the fact that I have dedicated into putting 20,000+ words into this chapter is. Thank God, I finished this at 1:27 A.M. in Malaysia.

In any case, I'm just going to say one thing; Eve, the final codename to 'A.E.E.' will not exist in this story. What?! Then how?

Well, hahaha... Let's just wait and see. In any case, I bid you, adieu! May peace be unto you! See ya'!


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